Blood, Bullets, and a Butterfly
by SkeletonConductor
Summary: A part of his life that he can't let go of returns. But what does this mean for his future and what direction will it take him? LeonxAda. Rated T for language. Rating may change later in the story. Please give it a read and a review.
1. What I've done

**Author's note: I do not own Resident Evil, the characters or **_**anything else**_** made by CAPCOM. The only thing I own is this scenario. **

**This story will fall under multiple genres like angst, romance, adventure, and slice-of-life (if that was a category). Also, it was a pain in the neck trying to come up with a title for this story.**

It's finally over.

Words. That's all they would ever be. Because it was never truly over. It would never be over. Not for people like him. And that's all he could think as he lay in a hospital bed, drifting in and out of consciousness. With what little strength he had he attempted to recount the past few days. The memories were choppy and distorted.

Leon S. Kennedy had escaped from the nightmare that was the European country of Pueblo and its surrounding areas. He had gone there to rescue the Ashley Graham, the president's daughter. It had seemed like such a simple mission. But then again, nothing was ever easy. And it had been an arduous couple of days. At least, that's what it had seemed like. His track of time had become skewed, making it impossible to determine how many days he'd been there. If he had to ball-park it, Leon knew it had to have been two or perhaps three at the most. Time there seemed to run together. It had been difficult. But the mission was a success. He and Ashley made out alive. Barely.

The mission had actually turned out to be much worse than he had originally predicted. In the past six years working as a government agent, Leon had run into his fair share of hostage and crazed cult situations. But locking horns with Los Illuminados and everyone that had been associated with the cult, had been a far cry from what he was used to. A very far cry. He could deal with terrorists, arms smugglers, prostitution and drug rings; the list went on and on. After what had happened in Raccoon City six years back, Leon could deal with just about anything the world could have thrown at him. But this mission had been one hell of a jam. And it had rained. A lot. All he wanted was to put it behind him and go home.

Ashley was still damp from her little spill into the Atlantic. Leon could feel her shivering as she wrapped her arms around his torso, afraid to fall into the drink again. He took note of this and hoped that she didn't come down with a case of pneumonia. The two drifted in the middle of the ocean for several minutes. Leon had killed the power to the jet ski that they rode on, afraid to waste too much gas without knowing full well where their destination resided.

"Do you know where we're going?" she asked as the current made them bob up and down.

Leon craned his neck back towards her "Not a clue"

"So, now what?" she replied.

Leon gripped the handles of the jet ski with one hand and thought for several seconds. Then an idea presented itself to him. He had been so overwhelmed with escaping that he had forgotten all about the options that were available to him.

"Ashley" he said "reach into my back pocket and fish out my radio. We'll see if I can get a signal out here. Maybe get a helicopter to pick us up"

Ashley let go of Leon's torso and looked at his back.

"Which back pocket?" she said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. She had taken note of the Kevlar vest and ammo pouches he wore. "You've got like, ten back pockets"

Leon sighed and reached around behind him. Ashley leaned back so he could access his radio. Pulling it to the front, he extended the antenna and patched into the frequency he had been using.

"This is Agent Kennedy with the United States government. Does any one read me? Over" he said, speaking into the mouthpiece.

No answer. Only static.

"I say again. This is Agent Kennedy with the United States government. I have successfully rescued the president's daughter and need immediate extraction. Please respond. Over"

Still no answer. Now he was becoming impatient.

"Goddammit!" he yelled into the radio, "Does anyone read me?!"

There was a brief period of more static and then a voice started to come through.

"Leon?" came a familiar feminine voice.

"Ingrid!" he said as he let out a breath that he had been holding. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice"

"Leon, we lost radio contact with you hours ago. What happened to you?"

Leon smiled a bit, not willing to cover a tale that he knew would take at least an hour or two to tell.

"Long story. Look, I'm out here in the middle of the Atlantic and have no where to go. I've also got a young college girl that is in desperate need of a blanket, a change of clothes, and maybe some Ramen's. Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind that myself. Think you could send a chopper to pick us up?"

"Of course. The radio has a built in GPS transponder. We can use it to track you. It might be a while. Think you can hold out till then?"

Leon tried to look back at Ashley and was able to tell that she was uncomfortable. Not in any life threatening way. She'd be able to hold out for a bit.

"Yeah, we'll be alright" he answered as he felt a hand hit him in the back. Clearly, Ashley didn't feel the same way as he did. "Leon out"

As he placed the radio back with the rest of his gear Ashley shot him a dirty look.

"Alright? I'm freezing here" she protested.

He pointed to the water. "Then go for a swim. Get your blood pumping. That'll warm you right up"

Ashley paused for a brief moment, took one look at the ocean and said "No, I'm good thanks"

"Then just relax for a bit. Chopper will be here before you know it"

As the time passed by, boredom set in for the both of them. After awhile, Ashley could take it no longer. She had some questions that she had to get off her chest. She just wondered if Leon would be willing to answer them.

"Hey Leon?"

"Yeah?" he answered as he leaned on the handle bars of the jet ski, staring off into the horizon.

"Have you ever…done anything like…that before?"

"Like what?" he said, his interest peaked.

"The whole mission thing" she said, giving her hand a bit of a wave.

Leon could tell that she was beating around the bush, using the question as a build up to what she really wanted to know. In the past six years he had become well adapt at reading people. Just one more skill of his that the government thought would be useful.

"Come on" he smirked "Just ask what you want to ask"

"Okay" she said before taking in a deep breath, not knowing how her question would affect him. "Have you ever gone up against anything like those nut-jobs or those monsters? It just seemed like you knew what you were doing. And it wasn't because you work for the government. No one has skills like that"

She couldn't have been more wrong. The fact of the matter was that there existed a hand full of people that could have done what Leon did. Ashley was treading ancient water now. She wanted him to bring up memories that he had tried to bury a long time ago. But after everything they had been through it seemed unfair to leave her in the dark about what he had done six years ago.

"Do you remember a company called Umbrella?" he asked with a stern face.

"The pharmaceutical company that went bankrupt awhile back? What about them?" she questioned.

"Well, you remember all the news reports about them right? The claims of bankruptcy? Or what about the Supreme Court cases regarding the company before they folded?" he asked.

"I remember _of _them" she replied "I wasn't paying much attention at the time. Dad was busy getting ready for the presidential elections at the time and I had school and a social life to focus on"

"_Figures_" Leon thought. "_Kids never taking notice of the world around them_"

"Why? What does any of that have to do with you?"

And so Leon had told her the short version of his own messy little life. He told her how it had been his first day on the job as a rookie police officer for the Raccoon City Police Department. After the suspension of the force's S.T.A.R.S. team following a mission in the outskirts of the city, the department had been in dire need of officers to fill the ranks and help patrol the increasingly dangerous streets. As it had turned out, Umbrella had been messing around with things that no person ever should. Under the cover of a helpful pharmaceutical company, they created viruses that were going to be utilized for financial as well as military applications. Not only that, but Umbrella had been making honest to God, home grown monsters and injecting them with the viruses in order to create bio organic weapons. Needless to say it made the creatures super aggressive and dangerous. When humans were exposed to the stuff, it turned them into "zombies" for lack of a better term. It was all really illegal to say the least.

There had been several instances were the virus had been leaked or purposely exposed to various communities, infecting them. The populace had all been turned into walking cadavers. One of those places had been Raccoon city. On his first day on the job, Leon had been at ground zero of a T-virus outbreak in that city.

"Wait" Ashley said, holding up her hands, trying to process what he was telling her. "You were in a city that was teeming with monsters and zombies? Zombies? What was that like for you?"

"Are you kidding me?" he asked her, annoyed and a little offended. "It was a fucking nightmare!"

"Okay, sorry" she said.

An uncomfortable silence descended on them for a few minutes. Then Ashley piped up again with more questions.

"Raccoon? But, the U.S. Government nuked that city. How did you make it out?!" she exclaimed.

"I had some help from the few survivors that were left in the city. And a lot of luck. Not long after that I joined with an anti-Umbrella organization. There were a lot of people around the world who all thought that the company should go down. It didn't take much time for Uncle Sam to recognize my skills and recruit me to fight the good fight" he finished his story. "So, yeah. I have done this sort of thing before" Leon turned his attention back towards the horizon.

About an hour later, Leon heard the distant roar of a helicopter's rotor blades in the distance. He and Ashley both looked to the skies in anticipation as a red shape loomed in the distance. Using his binoculars, Leon watched as it got closer and bigger. He couldn't have been happier. The long red fuselage became more noticeable and he could see the twin pairs of blades spinning wildly, keeping the thing in the air. When he had asked for a chopper he had no idea that they would send a 234LRChinook. At least they would be going home in style. That was when Leon remembered the second chopper that had been sent to help them out. He felt a pang of sadness within him as he was reminded of Mike. A man that he had never really met. The pilot had assisted him during the mission only to be shot down with an RPG. Mike had given his life to save Leon's and he had made good on his promise to avenge the man's death. The Los Illuminados cult had been destroyed along with any hard evidence of their plans. Another operation swept clean under the rug.

As the chopper neared, the force of the rotor blades forced the water around them to separate outwards like the parting of the Red Sea. Leon could make out the doors open and watched as a member of the helicopter's crew descended from the fuselage. If it wasn't for the tags and insignia on the uniforms, Leon could swear that the man descending from the chopper was a coast guard member. He was decked out in a helmet and flight gear and rigged to a pulley system that would ferry them back up to the helicopter. Leon couldn't really make out the man's expression as his eyes were covered by dark sunglasses. When he got close enough to them Leon yelled to him over the roar of the chopper.

"HEY! YOU OUR RIDE?"

"YEAH. HEARD YOU GUYS NEEDED A PICKUP" the crewmember shouted back.

"THAT'D BE NICE" Leon smiled. He jerked his thumb back towards Ashley. "GET HER INTO THE BIRD FIRST"

Within minutes they were both sitting in the chopper as it flew over the Atlantic. Leon and Ashley had both been made comfortable. Well, as comfortable as possible. The seats inside the helicopter weren't exactly made for sleeping on. In fact, they felt more like they were resting on a pile of bricks inside a tin can. They rest of the crew members had made sure that Ashley had been given a blanket to keep her warm and assured Leon that they would be stateside within a few hours.

He remembered the helicopter flying over the waters of the ocean. The sun continued to rise, creating a beautiful glimmering effect as it met with the crystal ocean. Leon was unable to enjoy it for very long. Fatigue was over taking him and the whir of the chopper's engine was lulling him to sleep. He ran a hand over his face and leaned his head on the window, turning away from Ashley and looking out at the ocean. She noticed him close his eyes.

"You alright?" she wondered.

"Yeah" he replied, opening and then closing his eyes again. "Just tired"

"What are you going to do now? When we get back to the states?"

"I'm going to get myself some aspirin and some breakfast. Then sleep for a week" he answered before crossing his arms and finally falling asleep.

**III**

It was a long time ago. A very long time. But the memory was as crystal clear as ever. The heat of the steam that escaped through the vents and pipes. The copper smell of the metal that was all around him. The feeling of the blood that pumped through his veins and soaked his officer's uniform. The pain of gunshot wound to his shoulder. He remembered it all. Every detail. _Every detail._

_"Leon"_

_There she was, right behind him. Her black hair was plastered to her face with sweat and her red dress was dirty and tattered. The black panty hose she wore were ripped. She had blood dripping down her arm from the wounds she'd sustained fighting the monster. The rivers of red descended the mountain of her arm. And she was pointing a gun right at him. He couldn't even understand why she was doing this now, here, and to him. She had a completely different look in her eyes. It was no longer playful or seductive. It was cold and emotionless. A look that was all business._

_"I've been waiting for you Leon"_

_He remembered the words that came out of his mouth as her attempted in vain to comprehend what was happening._

_"What are you doing?" he had asked._

_She had gotten right to the point_

_"You know what this is about. So just hand over the G-Virus"_

_He remembered the sick sensation in his gut. The feeling of nausea that overtook him as the woman he had grown so close to stood there, stabbing him in the back. He wanted to deny it. Wanted to make it not so. But it was a losing battle. The web of lies that Annette Birkin had weaved had all been for real. The truth had finally come out._

_"I don't believe this. Annette was right. About everything!"_

_She had walked towards him, keeping the pistol trained on him. He saw her expression change. Saw how the conflict between them was tearing her up inside and forcing its way to the surface. Leon knew that deep down she didn't want to do this. Deep down it was killing her._

_"That's why I told you to leave without me but you wouldn't listen!" she had pleaded with him, trying to make her actions seem rational. "Now hand it over. Don't make me shoot you"_

_He had looked at her with a mix of emotions running through him. Sadness, helplessness, and a little bit of despair mixed with anger. She had looked at him and kept aiming the weapon at him for what seemed like an eternity. Her arm had faltered, falling to her side. She looked at the floor and contemplated whether she could really harm him. He, who had been so kind to her while she had been almost anything but that to him._

_"BANG"_

_The shot echoed out through the facility and her expression turned to one of shock and pain as her body pitched forward, the bullet impacting her in the upper righter of her back near her shoulder. He remembered his stomach turned to ice as he saw her falter. The shock of the attack caused her to lose her balance sending her over the side of the catwalk she stood upon. Beneath the catwalk was a long drop that seemed to go on forever, dissolving into nothingness._

_"Ada!"_

Leon felt something touching him on the shoulder and shot out of his seat in alarm. The dream evaporated around him as he was brought back to reality. His hand immediately went to the knife that was held on his upper chest and he retracted it from its sheath. He breathed heavily as he realized where he was. The inside of the chopper registered to his senses as he looked around. His sights fell on Ashley who was looking at him with wide, startled eyes. She had her hands up in a "I give" gesture. Leon realized that she was the one who had been touching him.

"Whoa" she said "Take it easy will you? I think you were having a nightmare or something"

Leon stared and blinked a few times before returning the knife back to its holder and flopping back down in his seat.

"Just a nightmare" he said as he put his head back against the cool metal of the chopper interior.

"Yeah" Ashley kept talking "You were tossing a bit, and mumbling some weird stuff" she paused for a brief moment "Who's Ada?"

It was the one question that he really didn't want to answer. Leon let out a breath and turned back to look out the window.

"Just a part of me I can't let go. Let's leave it at that" he answered, repeating what he had told her earlier.

Soon they were cruising over vast cities. Leon didn't need the crew to tell him that they were home. He had never been happier to see American soil. Ashley was getting restless and excited at the prospect of being reunited with her family. A call came over the come links telling them that they would reach HQ within thirty three minutes. And thirty three minutes later the landing pad for the government department that Leon worked for came into view. With a soft descent the chopper touched down and everyone piled out. They were met by members of what Leon knew were the Secret Service. There were five men, all dressed in black suits with sunglasses and earpieces. As they got out of the helicopter, one of the men stepped forward.

"Agent Kennedy" the man said. "Agent John Liotta, Secret Service. The President is in your dept" he said as he extended his hand which Leon took, shaking it up and down.

"_Like that means anything to me_" he thought. They had no idea of the Hell he or Ashley had been through. "Just tell him to send me a fruit basket or something" he joked to the man.

After a short lived goodbye, Ashley had been whisked away by the government personal. Leon detected a pang of sadness in her eyes as they parted ways. They had been through a lot together and he had to admit that he was proud of her and how she had endured so well. Leon felt no such feelings of despair, knowing that it was only a matter of time before they crossed paths again. In his line of work, sooner always happened before later. It would be a few days before he'd be back on the clock, protecting her and her family. He knew that she would be in good hands. Ashley would go to the finest doctors in the country for a full medical examination. They wouldn't find anything of course. He had made sure that the plagas parasite in their systems was eradicated hours ago. The most she would get would be some bandages for the minor cuts and bruises she had sustained. Then Ashley would be returned to her father, safe and sound before eventually returning to her life as a college student. Hopefully she would be able to put all the experience behind her. Hopefully. Leon, on the other hand, had no such luxury.

All he wanted was to go home and sleep, but there was protocol to be followed after every mission regardless of how big or small. He had to go through the same formal bull crap he always went through after every mission. Leon was led into the building by a detail of two men. They all went strait for an elevator and went inside. It was one of those really fancy elevators that only the government could afford. Glass walls, marble floors, titanium doors. All that was missing was the crappy elevator music that was usually pumped into the car. One of the men he was with hit a button for the fortieth floor of the building and Leon knew he was headed for his superior's office for a debriefing.

"_Whatever_" he thought to himself as the car descended to the lower floors, "_Sooner I do this the sooner I can go home, grab a shower and pop in a copy of Die Hard_"

When the car stopped, the doors opened and all three men walked quickly past the rows and rows of offices and cubicles that were on the floor. He passed by the same hallway again and again. The interior decorator hadn't exactly been the best. Dry wall, Potted plant, crappy painting, picture of agents long past, certificates and diplomas on the wall, potted plant, water cooler. Rinse and repeat.

"_It's no wonder why rookies and visitors get lost in this place_" he thought as he continued to be escorted.

It wasn't that he needed to be chauffeured around. He knew the building like the back of his hand. But in the six years since Raccoon he knew the drill. It was standard protocol that he be debriefed after every mission. With the state of the world these days, saying the wrong things around the wrong people could get a man killed.

"_No, not could_" Leon thought.

Had and did. The world wasn't a nice place and there were never any fairy tale endings. Ever.

**III**

Eventually they made it to his boss's office. The large wood door stood in front of him and with it a plaque that read Gabriel Parker: Director. Not exactly the highest position in the building but it was one of the most important. Regardless, Director Parker was the man that Leon had to answer to.

"I can take it from here guys" he said to the two escorts.

Each man nodded to him in unison and walked away, leaving Leon to shake his head at the humor of it all.

"Government, men-in-black spy crap" he mumbled under his breath as he knocked on Parker's door.

"Enter" came a semi-muffled voice from behind the door.

Leon did as he was instructed, turning the knob and stepping inside the office. Parker was never one for furnishings. The office consisted of a desk, computer, file cabinet, two really uncomfortable chairs for visitors to sit in which sat before the desk, and a couch. Why a couch? Leon had no idea, never bothered to question it let alone ask to sit in the thing. There was also a large window with a great view of the outside. Parker had no pictures of relatives or loved ones. Incidentally it was a smart move. Leave your home life at home. In their line of work it wasn't intelligent to let info like that to get leaked. Not with all the crazies in the world.

Leon walked in and stood in front of the Director's desk. The man was in his late 40's, tall with dark brown or black hair. It had since begun to gray along his temples, giving the man a more distinguished look that fit his age. Despite his age he was in great shape thanks to the company gym in the basement. He wore black slacks and a button down blue shirt with a blood red tie contrasting against it.

"Agent Kennedy reporting sir." He said, trying to be as formal as possible even though he felt like shit.

"Please" Parker said, extending his hand towards one of the chairs, "Sit. Can I get you anything?"

"Quarter Pounder with cheese" Leon replied. "And a Red Bull"

Parker laughed long and hard before looking at him again. Leon just gave him a half pissed, half tired look to prove that he wasn't kidding. Parker gave a short little snort of laughter before taking his seat again.

"Right then. I can tell you had a rough time" he said as he opened a case file that was resting on his desk.

"_Asshole_" Leon thought. "_Rough time doesn't even begin to explain what I had to go through_"

"We can't begin to thank you for a job well done Leon. Don't be surprised if the President compensates you in some way for returning his daughter to him. But getting down to business, I need to know what happened in Pueblo. Tell me what you can" Parker finished as he opened a file and got a pen ready for the document.

He had questioned him about the cult and Leon had answered truthfully. Well, not the complete truth.

What Leon basically did was sum up the events of the past two days. He had told Parker everything. The cult, Saddler, Salazar, the parasite, Luis Sera, what the cult's plan was regarding the parasite and Ashely. Everything. Of course he had left out a few details. Like how he and Ashley had been injected with the parasite and subsequently cured. He left out the bit about Krauser, Wesker and most importantly of all, Ada.

His mind drifted to memories of her for a brief moment before he brought his mind back into focus. There would be time to think about her later. Right now, he had to focus on the task at hand. Parker was buying everything that was being reported to him. Leon cocked an eyebrow.

"You don't seem very surprised by all of this" Leon stated to Parker.

"I know you're track record Kennedy" he said, giving the man a stern look. "After what happened in Raccoon and God knows where else in the world hell, you could tell me the Easter bunny and leprechauns existed and I wouldn't question you"

When he brought up the subject of the cult and the parasite Parker had asked him if a sample had been recovered. And Leon had lied strait to his face, knowing full well that some of it existed. Somewhere. There were some things that he chose to leave in the dark. And for good reason. He had his secrets to hold and figured that it was best to keep as much shit from hitting the fan as possible. The man wasn't stupid, knowing full well what Leon had gone through during his night in Raccoon City. It was a different time and the government was more open to possibilities that at one time seemed impossible. But Leon was always thinking ahead. The less his superiors knew about the circumstances surrounding the parasite and those who sought after it, the better. The way he saw it, no matter the intention, those in power would always screw things up. And what they would have done had they gotten hold of a sample of the plagas made his head spin.

"Well, if that's all, then I guess you're dismissed. You've earned yourself some time off Kennedy. Looks like you could use it too"

Leon hadn't even bothered to notice the state he was in. He looked and saw he was dirty, sweaty, clothes were torn, had some cuts and bruises and smelled like he had been rolling around in a sewer. Come to think of it, that had happened.

"I'm going to request that you take two months off. Paid of course"

"Hold on." Leon started. "What about the President and his family?"

"Don't worry, they'll understand. And they'll be in good hands while you're away. I'll have Agent Thompson watch over them"

Agent Ark Thompson was a good friend of Leon's who had been present during the Sheena Island incident. Ark was very much like Leon; smart, resourceful, committed and deadly. Leon felt his nerves ease as Parker finished jotting down some memos. Ashley and the presidential family would be in excellent hands for the time being. Leon couldn't have picked a better agent himself. At least Parker knew when to call in the right people.

"Please, you've earned this. Take some time for yourself. Think of it as your country paying you back"

"_If my country want's to pay me back it can do it by paying my shrink_" Leon thought.

And they had sent him on his way telling him that it was a job well done and it was all finally over.

The words were easy enough to say. But fate always had another trick up its sleeve. Things always had a way of going from bad to worse. And life for Leon was no exception.


	2. Heaven's Night

The world is a funny place with equally amusing people. But what are even more entertaining are the questions these people ask. Why are we here? Where are we going? Why do fools fall in love? But most importantly of all: _Where did you get all those weapons and that Kevlar vest?_ But then again, the great thing about working for the government, working for a system that has a set of order and chain of command, is that the only people who can ask you questions and expect to have them answered are the people who sit in seats of power higher than your own.

Leon had no such worries. His time for Q&A was over and done with as he exited Parker's office and quickly but steadily made his way to the elevators. He still wore the Kevlar vest he had bought from the strange merchant in Pueblo, not even thinking to take it off. Perhaps he was using it as his own version of a comfort blanket or a reminder of what he had been through. But it was most likely due to the fact that his bomber jacket had been stolen early into the mission. As much as he had liked it, both the vest and the jacket were now an afterthought to him. This was not the case with the rest of the employees as he had gotten a few odd looks from the desk jockeys as he traversed the halls. But they all knew to keep their mouths shut unless they wanted to be transferred to some far off research outpost. Leon smiled a little at the thought before being brought back to the task at hand. His only true now concern was getting home safely. The mission was nothing compared to rush hour traffic.

The large stash of weapons he had amassed on the trip had been confiscated the moment he'd stepped out of the helicopter. But Leon knew exactly where they had been taken. The small armory in the basement of the building was chock full of firearms that were kept for field missions. The boys down there would be occupied for the next several hours categorizing the new additions.

"_And most likely wondering where in the hell I got all that stuff" _Leon thought and smiled as he made it to the elevator and pressed the call button.

But Leon kept his own knife and side arm along with the Kevlar vest. There was no reason he couldn't hold onto a souvenir. And besides, police kept equipment on them all the time. But the gun was important to him. He had been using it for so long that it had become an extension of his own body, a part of his soul. Leon's hands knew the feel of the grip. They had formed calluses from the amount of times that he had loaded it and pulled the slide back. His performance and aim with the weapon were superb and none of the other operatives in his district could handle a firearm like he could. It boggled their minds. But they didn't see the weapon like he did. The gun was like his brother. And it would never, ever betray him. He refused to be parted from it.

The shinning metal doors parted with a slight "ding" sound and he stepped inside, checking his watch. He batted an eyebrow as he saw the time display.

"Man, I _have_ lost track of time" he said to himself.

It was going on eight o-clock. The flight over the Atlantic and into the states had lasted a lot longer than he thought. And playing twenty questions with Director Parker didn't help matters much either.

"_Least I'll have a smooth ride home" _he thought as he pressed the button for the parking garage level of the building.

The ride down lasted a whole minute and a half but Leon finally made it to the garage. The doors parted once again and he was presented with a vast concrete structure. Most if not all of the cars had vacated the premises, leaving the garage completely barren. The concrete was awash in the eerie, dull yellow glow of the electrical lights that were common to parking structures everywhere. Leon swore he could here the buzz of electricity that ran through the lights.

No matter where he looked, there were shadows everywhere, fooling with the child of his mind. He did his best to convince himself that it was safe and his mind was just playing tricks on him. But this proved to be difficult as most are afraid of the unseen and the unknown. And Leon was only human. Yet there was no reason to be afraid here, in the building he stood in, one would have to be a fool to come looking for trouble in a place such as this. Or so he assumed.

In reality, he hated anyplace that wasn't above ground. Always had. The parking garage gave him a subtle feeling of claustrophobia, like the walls and ceiling were closing in around him. To Leon, the place was like one big tomb. He despised it, feeling as though he would be buried underneath the tons of rock and mortar and cement. It was drafty in the garage as well, making him chilled and uncomfortable. The whole area smelled wrong as well, like any place that doesn't get enough fresh air. Such as a catacomb, it almost smelled of death. The whole garage felt alien to him. But Leon would never voice these concerns to anyone. They were merely his own personal feelings towards the structure. And his feelings made him shudder.

Leon's boots created audible noises against the concrete as he tried to recall where he had parked his car days earlier. Not that it would be a difficult task due to the lack of cars. But his mind wasn't operating the way it usually did. Thoughts of days long gone, his friend looking after Ashley and her family, time that he was going to spend on himself, and day dreams of a women in red all clouded his mind. Still, he kept on walking through the concrete fortress, determined to get to his car and get home.

Eventually he found his vehicle. After years of driving company cars, Leon had finally had enough and purchased something that would have a little meaning in his life. The black WJ Grande Cherokee stood almost in front of him half hidden behind a pillar, almost like a mouse hiding in a hole. The ass end of the car stood out into the light of the underground complex, letting the electricity show a slight layer of dust that had settled on the windows, and no doubt, rest of the car. The Jeep was a reminder of the Wrangler that he had driven to Raccoon and then subsequently lost when the city was nuked. He had loved that car. It had been the first real vehicle he had purchased on his own salary right after graduating from the police academy. The Jeep that stood before him made up for lost time and money. Nothing like the simple things in life to make you happy.

Leon walked over to the driver's side door, fishing his keys out of his pocket as he tapped the button to unlock the door. There was a brief "Beep, Beep" as the signal registered to the computer inside. He could hear the locking mechanism move as his free hand went for the door handle. Opening the driver's door, he dropped his keys on the seat and unzipped the Kevlar vest. As he took it off, he could feel a sharp stabbing pain in his shoulder that made him grit his teeth. He tried to reach back and touch it, but it was beyond the reach of both his arms.

"Maybe I should have seen a medic" he said as he leaned into the jeep and tossed the vest into the back seat. His fingerless gloves soon joined the vest as he stripped them from his hands.

It was too late anyway. Everyone who wasn't working on a skeleton crew would have gone home already. And that included the medics. He dismissed it and decided to look at it once he got home and had access to a mirror. As he leaned into the Jeep, there was a small sound that came a few yards behind him that stopped abruptly. Leon turned around in a flash and trained his eyes and ears towards its source. His hand went for the USP pistol holster he wore before he stopped himself. Even after all these years, he couldn't help but be a bit jumpy. It was strange. Leon couldn't be certain, but he almost thought it was the sound of stiletto heels clicking on concrete.

"Hello?" he called into the chasm, his voice echoing through the corridors.

There was no answer. It was possible that he picked up on one of the secretaries leaving for the night. Or the garage was getting to him and making him hear things.

Shaking his head he climbed into the Jeep, shut the door and started the car. The car came to life with a roar of the engine and he put it in gear. Leon drove for a ways, making various twists and turns and climbing ramps before finally exiting the garage. He took one last look in his rear-view mirror of the parking garage before hitting the accelerator and making his way to the highway system that would lead to home.

If only he had investigated the sound would he have seen the woman watching him from the shadows.

**III**

"Well, not quite as smooth of a ride as I would have liked" Leon said as he drove through traffic.

It was late but certainly not dead. There were still motorists out on the freeway which made the drive home a little more congested than he would have originally planned for. The streets were aligned with a sea of red and white lights. Horns honked periodically as some jackass changed lanes without signaling. Everyone was either heading home for the night or out for the evening. In other words, it was just another day in paradise.

Leon kept one steady hand on the wheel and let the other prop up his head. Smooth jazz drifted from the speakers of the car. It was the only music he could listen to at the current hour anyway. The music was calming, putting him at ease. A mix of piano, saxophone and bass all came together to create a relaxing atmosphere within the Jeep. Leon wasn't completely focused on the road, as his mind started to wander again. The lines and miles of highway blended together, seemingly coming and going as if they never existed in the first place. Such was the way a persons mind perceives things when they let their mind wander. Letting the subconscious overtake the more important matters at hand and let the conscious mind dream of what may be.

There were some things that he should have been able to let go. The mission was over and the book was closed. But as one chapter of his life had ended, another had appeared and forced itself to be seen. A woman from his past, a woman that he had thought dead long ago had turned up, confirming her to be alive and well. It was unthinkable and inconceivable. Yet it had still happened. Ada was out there somewhere. He tried so hard but it was no use. She had invaded every crevice of his thoughts.

Try as he might, Leon could not stop thinking about Ada Wong. The memories that came to him were so clear. Her hair, body, skin, hands, smile and most importantly of all, her eyes, came flooding into his brain. Leon couldn't help himself. She was everywhere to him now. He had often found himself thinking of her in the days following Raccoon. Thinking of her, what the two of them had been through and ultimately the pain that came from losing her.

For Leon, it was the type of pain that had not healed well with time. Every day that had passed, the feelings had gotten worse and worse till he was on the verge of depression. She had made such an impact and meant so much to him in the short time that they had spent together in Raccoon. She was like no woman that he had ever met before. A mystery wrapped in an enigma. Ada was cool, calm, sensual and sexual all at once. She knew what she had wanted and went for it. Aside from the female cadets at the academy, Claire Redfield and possibly even Sherry Birkin, Leon knew of no other woman that was as strong and confident as Ada. Perhaps that was what turned him on to her. Either that or it was his inherent need to care for her during their time in Raccoon.

Even she had admitted to him that she enjoyed being with him and cared for him. It seemed impossible, but the short time that they had spent together had meant years to him and possibly to her. But when it all turned out to be a lie, well, it had almost destroyed him. Almost, but not quite. What had destroyed him was having to hang onto her, looking into her eyes as she pleaded that he let her go and save himself. He had tried his damnedest to hang onto her and told her not to give up. But she knew it couldn't last. And when she had slipped from his grip and fallen into a black abyss which was the Umbrella labs, a part of him had died with her.

Awhile later, he had found out that she lived and escaped Raccoon before the U.S. government had bombed it. He had been elated at first but then discovered that she was working with the one person who had driven himself as well as many of his soon to be friends strait into Hell. That had hurt him the most. To know that this woman he cared for was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Leon had to admit, Ada's record was not a very good one.

"Let's see" he said to himself. "She's lied to you, backstabbed you, held you at gunpoint at least four times, stabbed you in the leg and worked for the very people you fight against" he listed off the facts, "Oh yeah, and you took a bullet for her. That was fun. What is it with you Kennedy?" he asked to himself, lightly tapping his head. "Why do you still hang onto the notion that there could be something between you two? That you could love her?"

He knew the answer. For all the treachery and lies Ada had dished out, there was still something good about her. She could have sold him out or killed him countless times but she didn't. Hell, she had saved his life and assisted him with his mission, which most likely didn't sit well with whoever she had been working for. That meant there had to be something to the two of them. But he would never know now. She was most likely miles away, with a plagas sample to be delivered to her superiors. Now Leon would never know what could be between the two of them. It was this fact that now cut and hurt him the deepest. There had been a lot of women who had come and gone in his life. But Ada was one in a million to him. The type of woman that he had always desired to have a life with but could never attain. He couldn't lie to himself. He missed her. Terribly. He just wished that she could hear these thoughts

"Maybe someday" he said to himself as he changed lanes and got off the highway.

If he could bring himself to talk to her about everything that she had put him through, that was. It would be tough, but there were questions that he was only going to get answered if he talked to her. That was if she didn't kill him outright. But Leon had no idea of where she was. The whole situation sucked. So he did his best to drive the thoughts from his mind for the time being. He had the next two months to think about her.

**III**

Leon pulled onto a residential street, near the heart of the city. It was much like a neighbor hood of New York; the side of the street was lined with cars that had parked for the night as well as small trees, planted into the sidewalk. Street lights were on, acting with the trees as guardians for the strip of asphalt they fell upon. The sidewalks had other touches of flair such as the occasional fire hydrant, trash can, and bike racks. Small shops with viewing windows and apartment buildings lay on either side of Leon. He scanned the street, watching the random person walk past him or lights go off in people's homes as they went to bed. He looked for the apartment building that he lived in, knowing that he was only a ways off.

He finally found the large, brick building and parallel parked the Jeep in the front of the building in one of the designated parking spots. Leon got out, locked his Jeep and headed for the front door of the apartment building without bothering to cover up the gun holster he wore. It was a well known fact to many of the tenants that he was registered with the government. The weapon wouldn't scare them at all. Instead it gave them a bode of confidence to know a law man lived in the building.

"_Probably won't be anyone up at this hour anyway" _Leon thought as he fished his keys out of his pocket and flipped them till he found the one that would let him into the building.

Unlocking the door, he stepped inside and let the glass door close and automatically re-lock itself. Leon walked a few feet to one of the two elevators in the building, pushed the call button and was soon riding the car up to the floor that his apartment was on. He then made his way down a seemingly endless hallway of doors until he found his room number "5588". He again flipped through his keys to get to his house key and stuck it in the door's lock, turning it.

As he entered his loft, Leon saw that it was just the way he had left it days ago: dark and quiet. Just the way he preferred it. The shades of the large viewing window which overlooked the city had remained drawn, small cracks of matted gray light poked through the bottom. He figured it was best to leave them that way, what with the night in full swing and all. He moved his hand over the side wall, knowing full well where the set of light switches were located. Instantly the whole loft lit up as orange and yellow lights shone down from the ceiling. He knew the few orange bulbs would need to be changed in about a month or two.

Slipping his shoes off and shoving them into a closet a few feet from the entrance way, Leon walked into his loft and surveyed the place.

"Home sweet home" he muttered.

A little bit of sadness crept into him as he remembered that he was all alone in the apartment and had been for some time. The loft wasn't a loft in the traditional sense. It was more like an extremely large, open apartment. Lord knows he could have afforded something much better on his salary. But the moment he had laid eyes on the building, he had been smitten by it. He preferred to live like normal people instead of how one would expect a wealthy man to live. The floors were traditional hard wood. Great to look at but a pain to clean. Every wall was composed of brick, akin to the structure of the whole building they rested in. There were a few random paintings hung on the wall to give the living area more of an edge to it. The entrance way led into the living, dining and kitchen area which occupied most if not all of the space that stood before him.

The kitchen was a quaint structure of several teak wooden cabinets, all holding some form of dishware or another. All the counter tops were a shade of ugly gray marble. Had the lighting fixtures in the ceiling been turned on, the teak would have shone with a shimming glint of polished wood. A chrome refrigerator stood near the one end of the kitchen with a sink a few feet from it, built into the counter top. Very close to the sink was a dishwasher and an electric powered stove that rested along the adjacent wall of the kitchen. Both looked as though they hadn't been used in some time, practically looking new and untouched. Separating the nook from the rest of the apartment was a small island, partially built into the wall.

The kitchen led out into the dining room which was nothing more than a table and four chairs placed around it. In an odd choice, Leon had chosen a glass table for his eating area. It was more or less at his father's advisement. An unlit, scented candle rested on the table as a center piece. He passed it and a metal, spiral stair case that led up to his bedroom.

"_Your mother always liked glass tables. It would just break her heart to see you use anything else" _his father's words ran through his head.

"Gee, thanks dad. Way to let me choose how to decorate my pad" he muttered to himself as he moved out into the living room.

With the large picture windows, the living room was used to getting a lot of natural light. Leon used this to his advantage and had a few house plants in the apartment. All of them were looking healthy with rich greenery. The high ceiling housed a number of large wooden timbers, giving the apartment a bit of a rustic feel. The living room space was filled with a large comfortable sofa, that at one time or another, Leon had fallen asleep on. There were also two felt recliners on either side of the sofa along with a lamp to accompany them, which he used for whenever he had company over. A small coffee table sat before the furniture and ahead of it was his media center. Like the kitchen, the area was held within more teak wood cabinets. It housed his stereo, DVD player, movies, music and large flat-screen TV. There were also a few photographs that he kept on the media center for sentimental value.

Photos of himself at an earlier age, his family, old friends from the police academy all sat there. He scanned the shelves and saw a picture of his father and uncle. Both men were cops and had more or less been Leon's reason for becoming one himself. Looking at the photo he knew that he would never have to ask where the good looks in the family came from. Both men had the same build and strawberry blonde hair as himself, as well as the same facial structure and smiles.

"Huh" he chuckled to himself, "At least I know I'll still be looking good in a few decades"

He walked past the media center and down a hallway that would lead him to a few remaining rooms in the apartment. As he passed down the hallway he took slight notice in the framed awards, certificates, diplomas and pieces of scenic art which hung on the walls. He didn't bother to open the door to his specious gym and weight equipment. There would be time later to exercise and work up a good sweat. Leon didn't even feel the need to check out the guest bedroom or laundry room, knowing full well that they were just the way he had left them. He finally reached the closet at the end of the hall, opened the door and took off his pistol and knife harness. Depositing them on a hook inside the door, he quickly shut it and moved back towards the spiral staircase.

When Leon made it upstairs, he went strait for the bathroom. Once inside, he attempted to take his shirt off but something was amiss. Close to where the pain in his shoulder lay, the fabric of the shirt clung to him. Gritting his teeth through the pain, he peeled the shirt off his back and was rewarded by a noticeable ripping sound, almost like a band aid being removed. The shirt revealed the toned, ropey muscles of his arms as well as the six pack of his abdomen. Leon looked at the shirt in his hands and noticed a large gash in it. But what was even more startling was the amount of dark brown around the gash site.

He turned around in order to look at his back in the reflection of the mirror, still holding the shirt in his hand.

"How the hell did I miss that?" he said as he finally found the source of his pain.

A long, deep gash traveled from the top of his right shoulder to the bottom of the same shoulder blade. The wound was still very fresh and raw but already showed signs of blood clotting and congealing around the edges, meaning that it was ready to start scabbing. It also hurt like a son of a bitch which was both a blessing and a curse. The healing of the wound had already started somewhat. Although it wasn't something that he could take care of himself. In fact, he might have to get stitches for it.

"_Should have seen the medics" _Leon chastised himself. "_But it won't matter if I leave it till morning" _he thought as he looked down at the shirt in his hands. "_I ain't putting that back on" _he thought as he pitched it in the trash can that sat on the floor of the bathroom. A noticeable smell of copper rose into the air.

Leon took off the rest of his clothes and reached into the shower to turn on the water, letting it take effect and heat up. After a long rinse and lather, Leon almost felt like a new man. The water had stung the gash horribly but he had worked through it. After words Leon toweled off and moved towards his bedroom, turning on a bedside lamp in order to see better. He then moved to his dresser to fish out a pair of shorts. He didn't bother getting a shirt to wear. It was best if the air got at the gash to help the healing process along.

Pulling the shorts up to his waist line, he teetered towards the nice comfortable bed, pulled away the covers and flopped down on the mattress, almost forgetting what it was like to sleep in such a comfortable bed. All the fatigue seemed to melt into the mattress as Leon lifted his hand to turn off the lamp and let sleep take him over. He just subconsciously hoped that the cut on his back would not get worse over night. But he figured he would be able to suck it up. Or so he intended.

**III**

Outside, on the cold, dark street below, a woman stared up at the only lit window in the whole apartment complex. She absent mindedly tapped her heeled shoes on the pavement as she focused on the window. She wore a pair of blue jeans that clung to the frame of her hips and long legs. A tight red blouse covered her upper body and was almost completely obscured from view by the black leather jacket she wore. Leaning against the side of her red Lamborghini Gallardo, she crossed her arms. The woman glanced over at the Jeep parked in front of her, taking note of how nice it was before turning her attention back to the window. It was almost as if she was waiting for something. But it wasn't waiting in the traditional, impatient sense. No, it was as if she was expecting to see something, to have a fact confirmed to her. She smiled to her self when she viewed him walking past the window and then saw the light go out. Walking around to the driver's side of her car, she opened the door and got in.

"Good night, handsome" Ada said to herself, smiling as she started the engine and drove away.

She knew where he lived. Now it would only be a matter of time for her before she did what she came to do.


	3. Going Under

**Author's note: Some dialogue used in this chapter came strait out of Resident Evil 2. All of said dialogue is property of CAPCOM (or Flagship, who wrote the script).**

Some people have dreams. The lucky ones that is. For others, there are only endless nightmares. Nightmares that are brought on by the horrors that the world inflicts upon the soul. The harsh truth is that this world is a despicable and horrible place. For many, it is just a matter of tuning out what is around you in order to receive a good night's sleep and sweet dreams. There are those that do not have this ability. Leon S. Kennedy was one of those people.

The dream seemed so real. It was mostly due to the fact that he had lived through it once before. He wished that it was over and done with, but his subconscious would not let it be so. The nightmare differed every night to varying degrees. But the dream always ended the same way. The same, horrible, gut wrenching way.

_He was right back at the end of everything, holding Ada as she dangled over the edge of the abyss. Klaxon's blared in the distance as a computerized voice repeated the same warning of an imminent self destruct to the facility. Leon fought to keep her from falling, but they were both so exhausted. Still, he pushed himself not to let her fall. She was slipping from his grasp, the blood and sweat on her arm making her difficult to keep a grasp on her. His ribs pushed against the cold metal of the railing as her weight pulled him down. He could save her. He had to. Leon would not let her die like this. She had looked up at him with pleading eyes._

_"Ada, I've got you! Don't give up" he had said, straining to pull her back up._

_"Leon, It's over. Just…let me go" she had told him. She had sounded so tired, like she wanted to give up._

_Just let me go? She couldn't have been serious. Letting her go was the very last thing he was going to do. He would not let her die, not here. Not in this place. Not after everything they had been through together. She meant too much to him. Leon used every bit of strength to pull her back up. But she kept slipping and slipping._

_"Shut up! You're gonna make it!" he yelled._

_"It's too late Leon. We both know it"_

_"No! I promised you that we would escape. You just have to help me out here!" Leon was almost on the verge of helpless tears._

_He had denied it so much, unwilling to separate himself from her. They were going to make it out together. They had to. But why was she unwilling to had and wanted him leave without her?_

_"I…really wanted to escape…with you Leon. Escape from…everything" she said, her eyes closing and opening again. A sadness was in her voice that made him fear for her. For him. _

_She was serious. In an instant Leon saw everything that could have been and could still be. The two of them sharing a life together, far away from this hell. Leon could save her, get her medical treatment and get her back on her feet. Good as new. They could have it all, just the two of them. A life and love and happiness. Things either of them had never truly known until they met each other. He wanted it to come to fruition. Had wanted fiction to be come reality. And then, it had happened._

_"Goodbye"_

_She slipped from his hold. In that instant, his heart stopped beating for what seemed like several seconds before eventually snapping in two. The love that they could have had evaporated before him as she fell. Fell into the darkness until it swallowed her whole. And she was gone._

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Leon screamed as he shot out of bed, the nightmare gone but not forgotten. He breathed heavily, almost to the point of hyperventilation. His chest heaved in and out and his heart hammered against his sternum. Leon's senses realigned as he realized he was no longer in Raccoon. No longer in the underground laboratory beneath the city. He was right back in his bedroom inside his apartment. Safe and sound. The sheets of his bed were wrapped around the lower half of his body almost like a cocoon. Everything around him felt wet and damp. That's when he realized that he was coated in a thick layer of sweat. The cold air of his apartment met with his skin and chilled him as he sat upright in bed. Leon threw back the covers of his and swung his legs over to the edge of the bed. He let his head hang past his shoulders, holding it with his hands. His palms cupped his eyes as he attempted to get his bearings in the darkened room.

"No, no, no, no…" Leon repeated to himself as he tried to snap himself out of the nightmare.

It was over and done with, but the feelings still remained. There were some things that he couldn't just shake off immediately. And a nightmare was one of those things.

"Why am I being tortured like this?" he said to no one. "Why do I keep seeing her die every night? Why do I have to keep seeing her look into my face like that with those eyes? Her eyes. Ada's eyes? Why do I wake up in the middle of the night, screaming, in a cold sweat? Why, why, WHY!? FUCK!" he yelled the last words.

A brief flush of rage overtook him and he let one of his hands curl into a fist. In anger, Leon struck his nightstand, feeling pressure and pain as it impacted the piece of furniture. A dull "thump" sound rang through the room and was accompanied by movement of whatever had been jostled within the nightstand. He didn't even care that he dented it. Leon just left his fist on the stand, trying to collect himself. It wasn't easy. For the last six years it hadn't been easy. Not many could cope with reoccurring nightmares. Not even Leon. He was fighting a losing battle with his emotions and mind. Six years was a long time to be having the same nightmare every evening. It wasn't fair that he should be subjected to this.

"_It's all my fault"_

It was his fault. And the reason was because he had cared to goddamn much. Cared for her. Despite everything she had done, he still cared about her.

Leon shook his head. Something was wrong. And it wasn't just the nightmares. Something was physically wrong with him. He could feel it inside of him. It was the feeling that one gets when they are ill or on their way to that plateau. Leon felt like complete and utter shit. Like the worse case of the flu he ever had. Could he have a fever? If that was the case it was no wonder why his bed felt like someone had dumped a bucket of water into it. And he was hungry to boot. His stomach turned and twisted, making small growling noises.

"When was the last time I ate?" he said to himself. "I should have made Parker get me that burger"

He glanced over to the clock radio that was sitting on the nightstand he had struck. The green, LED light was the only source of luminescence in the room. The clock's influence was small but the light cast an eerie, other-worldly glow onto his sweat soaked face. The readout said "6:45".

"Jesus" he said to himself as he ran a hand over his face.

It was still early, but not so early that he couldn't get something in his stomach. Leon got out of bed, not bothering to make it up for the next night. Sheets and covers stayed messed and wrinkled on top of the mattress. His pillows had also made their way off the bed and on the carpet as well. Leon went through his morning routine of washing and dressing himself. The shower helped a little bit to alleviate the ill feelings that Leon had, but not by much. At this point, the best course of action would be to load up on fluids, bed rest, chicken noodle soup and cherry flavored Alka-Seltzer if he wanted to keep whatever he had from getting worse. He made a mental note to make a shopping list later. Not being on the clock for the day meant that the dress style was casual. He rummaged around his closet and dresser until he found something that would suit him. A pair of old jeans and an even older, cotton Rolling Stones T-shirt were the ensemble for the day.

After dressing, Leon made his way to the kitchen when a sinking feeling entered the pit of his chest.

"_When was the last time I went grocery shopping?_" he wondered as he entered the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door.

Immediately he saw that the fridge contained little or no food. What was in the fridge had already begun to spoil and whatever remained were half empty condiments. There were no deli meats, no eggs, cheese, bread, or even suitable leftovers. Leon was pretty sure that the half gallon of milk was starting to turn. In other words: no breakfast.

"Great. That's just great" Leon said as he closed the refrigerator door and leaned his forehead against it.

Going throughout his apartment, Leon scooped up his keys and wallet before moving to the closet and opening it. Inside he reached for a spare jacket for the trip outside. Once it was in his hands he began to close the door before taking a second thought an opening it again. He reached for the knife holster that was hanging inside the door, grabbed it and affixed it to his person. Incidentally it was a stupid idea. But then he remembered that he had a concealed weapons permit. And Leon hated not having a weapon. It made him feel naked. With that he moved to the door and grabbed his wallet, keys and cell phone. Leon then put his shoes on and left his apartment, making sure to lock the door behind him. And hopefully locking the nightmares inside as well.

**III**

The morning was still young and quiet. The sun was just about to rise over the horizon, creating a dull gray sky that would soon birth golden yellow. It was a shame that it would do almost nothing for the weather. Being late Fall, it was only a matter of time before winter set in. and Leon hated winter.

Leon walked down the sidewalk, headed for a small grocery store a few blocks from his apartment. He didn't need to check his watch to know that it would already be open. 24 hour places like the one he was headed to never failed. And there was no way he was going to walk all the way across town when there was something closer.

As he traveled the streets he had to marvel at how amazing it all was. No smashed or overturned cars. No broken glass, raging fires, or broken shop windows. There were no screams and most importantly, no human bodies, blood or monsters. The entire town was completely silent save for a random car that drove by in the street or a newspaper delivery truck that stopped every so often to unload its shipments.

It were the times like this, the quiet times, that he was allowed to reflect on aspects of his life and relate them to what was happening around him. The people that were around him had no idea of how fortunate they were. They would never have to experience what he and others had gone through. These people were the lucky ones. No, not lucky. Blessed.

The walk was becoming more and more of a hassle the greater the distance he traveled. The closer he got to the grocery store, the more Leon started to feel that something was really off with him. He felt lethargic and dizzy at the same time. His vision was a little fuzzy and it threw him off balance. He teetered down the street, shaking his head in order to snap himself out of the spell he was in. But that just made things worse as a wave of nausea washed over him, forcing Leon to lean against an outside wall of a building. Was it possible that he was sicker than he had originally thought?

"Gotta…get something…get something to eat" he said as he stood back up and continued down the street.

Soon he made it to the corner grocery store. A red neon sign read "open" and it was all the incentive he needed to move inside. But his situation was worsening. Feelings of heat and illness were consuming him, threatening to eat his body. That's when Leon started to notice that the gash on his back was feeling a bit off. The pain seemed like it had gotten worse in the short distance that he had traveled, almost like someone had been sawing at his back with a dull knife all night. Automatic doors parted as he stepped on the sensor. His vision was dropping out as he tried to maintain his balance.

There was a dull buzzing of fluorescent lighting overhead. Even though it was still early there were several people already shopping inside. The metal of carts and wheels resonated through the store. Cheap elevator music poured through the speakers. And Leon's presence had disrupted all of it. A few of the clerks turned their heads and watched as Leon stumbled inside like a drunk. They exchanged glances with one another, silently wondering what his problem was. One of the clerks, a short brunette girl with hair down to her neck and freckles , walked up to him. Leon grabbed a hold of a display shelf and hunched over. A few bottles of shampoo or conditioner clattered to the floor.

"Sir?" the girl asked.

Leon looked at her, trying to focus.

"_Sir? Am I really that old?"_ he thought as he struggled to get his bearings.

"Sir? Are you alright?" she asked as she shot a worried glance to her coworkers.

Leon stood back up and gave her a little smile, regaining his composure.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just a little under the weather, you know?"

"You sure?" she asked, giving him a shifty glance.

"Yeah, I'm good" he said as he waved her off and started walking down the isle.

Leon managed to get four steps before a wave of vertigo overtook him. It all happened so fast that he couldn't comprehend it. He couldn't feel his legs anymore. The all of a sudden he saw the overhead lights, shelves, people and goods rush past him at a weird angle before collapsing to the floor in a heap. The impact of his body hitting the tiled floor was jarring and rattled his bones. He started to shake uncontrollably as his bodily temperature fluctuated. Muscle spasms riddled his body as he started to dry heave. He could sense people around him, trying to assist in some manner or another. Leon's consciousness started slipping as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

The last thing he heard before he passed out was, "Oh my God! Someone call an ambulance!"

And then all he saw was blackness.

**III**

Being unconscious is just how one expects it to be. There's nothing but darkness. No feeling of time or space or feeling. Just black, that's it. Leon didn't know where he was or how long he had been there. It was odd. He could feel his body. Feel that it was, back to normal, for lack of a better term. He didn't feel ill or sick or that there was anything wrong with his well being. There was just peacefulness. There was such peacefulness because all he could think about and see in this state was Ada. Visions of her danced in his head. Her soft, feminine features. Her smile. The way she moved. Everything about her was laid out in his mind. That's all there was, was just her. Ada, surrounded by a brilliant white light in his mind, threatening the darkness of his subconscious. She was like an angel. His angel. Leon wished that he could never have to leave this place. Or if he had to, that his angel would appear before him.

Leon floated in and out of this state for some time. There were times when he was completely out of it and others when he was at least a little bit awake. During those periods he could almost make out where he was. From what he could gather, he was laying down in a bed and clothed in something that he hadn't put on that very morning. It felt loose and kind of stiff. Leon also felt a sheet covering his body on the bed. His vision was still blurry and out of focus. There was a machine beeping and could feel a slight twinge of something sticking in his arm.

"_Where the hell am I?" _ he wondered, lost in a daze.

Other bits of the room came to him slowly. It was clean and stark white. There was a cabinet area with a sink area built into it across from where he lay. Several containers holding things like tongue depressors, cotton swabs, iodine swabs and other little things were placed in and around the sink area. It was all strange and foreign to him. The overhead lights were dimmed to make him feel a bit more comfortable and there shades were drawn ever so slightly, allowing a little sunshine into the room. A small potted plat sat on a table near the bed. There also rested a chair near the table. Leon didn't last long enough to see anything else. Fatigue took over and he fell back asleep.

The sound of someone entering the room woke him up sometime later. He opened his eyes only enough to get a rough outline of who was in the room. The person was female, dressed in white scrubs and had her back to him. From where he was standing Leon could make out that her hair was stark black, like a crow's feather and dropped down past her neck. She stopped at the small cabinet area across from the bed and rummaged around for something. As she turned her head to the side, Leon could make out that the woman was of Asian descent.

"_Asian?"_

Was it possible? Could it be? Could it be that _she _was in this place with him right now?

"A…A…Ada?" he managed to say.

The woman just looked over to him and scooped something up into her hands. She then made her way to where he was laying. As she moved closer, Leon could make out what the something in her hand was. His vision was still blurry but the object was long and cylindrical. Then the parts started to come together. It was mostly plastic and had what looked like a…

"_Needle!"_ Leon's mind screamed at him.

Ada or not, this woman wasn't getting anywhere near him with something like that. The beeping in the room became quicker in rhythm and the woman took slight notice of this. Just as she got close enough to his arm, he shot out of the bed with a reserve of energy and anger that he hadn't tapped into until now. He was so fast, almost like a snake strike. The beeping of the machine grew faster and more persistent. Leon grabbed the woman by the wrist of the hand that held the syringe, increasing his grip on her. His hand acted like a vice on the woman's wrist. A look of fear and shock was plastered across the woman's face and she screamed.

"Someone! Help me! Doctor, he's awake!"

Immediately, Leon realized the mistake that he was making. It all came together so fast. The woman wasn't Ada. She was just some nurse and he was in a hospital, wearing a hospital gown. He let go of her and she retreated back towards the door in fright as a doctor came rushing into the room. Leon winced and looked down at his right arm, seeing that there was a needle stuck in it that led to an I.V. drip. Next to the bed was a heart monitor, measuring his cardiac rate which was slowly returning to normal. He flopped back down on the bed, breathing heavily as he looked at the two other people in the room. The doctor made sure that the nurse was alright before looking over to Leon. The woman was a little shook up but she was recovering nicely. The doctor turned back to her and they talked amongst themselves for a few seconds, their backs to Leon. The nurse left the room, leaving the syringe in the doctor's hands.

Leon eyed the man was he walked towards him. He stopped at the foot of the bed and picked up the clipboard that was resting there. After thumbing through the papers on it for several seconds, the doctor moved over to the side of the bed and pulled a chair up against the side of the bed. The man was old, about in his late fifties or so. He had gray hair that was a mess of tangles around his balding scalp. Thick, horn rimmed glasses were affixed to his nose and he looked at Leon with old gray eyes. The man looked at the heart monitor and then at Leon before speaking.

"My name is Dr. Zara" he said to Leon. "It's good to see that you're finally awake, although Nurse Yuriko may not think the same way"

Leon let out a breath and said "Yeah, sorry about that"

"Do you know where you are Agent Kennedy?"

Leon looked at the man, wondering how he knew who he was and with whom he was affiliated with.

"We found your ID on you son. Can't say we've had many government agents come through here before" he paused for a few moments. "Almost gave us a scare with the knife you were carrying on you at the time. You're lucky that you have a concealed weapons permit on you or else we would have the police here. So, I'm going to ask you again. Do you know where you are?"

"Well, _Doctor_" Leon said, stressing the word as to make a point that he was no idiot "I'd say I'm most likely in a hospital. That about right?"

"Yes, you were admitted here two days ago"

"Two days?!" Leon said, stunned.

Two days. How could he have been out of it for so long?

"What can you remember" the doctor inquired, looking at the clipboard.

Leon told him that the last thing he remembered was passing out in the grocery store.

"What happened?" Leon asked the doctor.

"You were brought here with a massive fever. It peaked 106 degrees. We thought we were going to lose you a few times there"

"Jesus" Leon said to himself, running a hand over his face before the doctor continued.

"We discovered that the source of the problem was from the gash you had on your back. Apparently it became infected. That's what brought on the fever. You're lucky you got here in time. A little while longer and you would have been dead. We cleaned the wound, stitched it up and but you on a saline solution to bring down the fever. We also put you on anti-bacterial medications that fought off the infection. But as far as everything goes, you're back to normal. To be on the safe side, I'm going to advise that you take the medication for about another week or two." He said as he filled out a prescription form and handed it to Leon.

"Sure, no problem" Leon said as he watched the doctor go about his business.

"How could you have sustained a wound like that and not sought medical attention? More importantly, when did you get that? Looks like you took on the Grim Reaper and came out the loser"

Brief flashes of memory invaded Leon's mind as he recalled fighting the priests and villagers of Spain. The sharp and dirty weapons they all waved in their hands came and went through his subconscious along with their screams and war cries.

"Sorry" Leon said. "But that's…classified information that I'm not at liberty to discuss" he explained to the doctor.

The man gave him a stare before nodding in understanding. It wasn't the answer that he was looking for but it would have to suffice. There was no way that Leon could tell him about what he went through. People like this doctor wouldn't be able to handle that sort of information. And he was right. It still was classified info, in a way. And Leon couldn't let it slip out like this, even if his life had depended on it somewhat. The doctor took out the syringe and Leon eyed him.

Noticing this, the doctor reassured him "Just have to take a blood sample. Nothing to worry about Mr. Kennedy"

Leon relented and let the man do his job. The doctor moved around the bed to get to Leon's left arm and stuck the needle in. There was a small stinging sensation that lasted until the doctor had used the syringe to fill several small vials. The blood flowed into each vial, similar to how a pipe breaks and spews water everywhere.

As he filled the vials, Dr. Zara questioned him again. "Nurse Yuirko tells me that you were mumbling the word "Ada" over and over again. Is there something you'd like to tell me? Like, is there a person we could contact for you? Because we were unable to find any sort of emergency contact number on you. Even your phone was of no use to us. No contact numbers"

"No" Leon said. "Ada was…" he struggled to think up a good lie for the man, "just a friend that I knew from high school. I must have been really out of it or something." Leon chuckled.

He nodded, understanding where Leon was coming from. After removing the needle, the doctor checked his temperature and found that it was at an agreeable 98.6 degrees. Perfectly normal.

"Well, it seems that you're set to be released. We can bill your insurance agency for the costs, but there's still some paper work for you to fill out" he said, taking the I.V out of his arm and removing the heart monitors affixed to his chest.

The machine made a flat line sound before being turned off. Dr. Zara then got up and left the room, leaving Leon to wonder how close to death he had really been. And all over something as mundane as a cut on his back.

**III**

After he had dressed back in his street clothes, Leon had filled out the paper work for his release and had been given a bottle of anti-bacterial pills to help fight off any further infection. He had stopped by the cafeteria, hunger burning through him. Leon had then purchased enough food to fill up three people. Having eaten nothing in three days made any man work up an appetite. Leon also noticed that he smelled a bit.

"_Guess not taking a shower in three days will do that too"_ he thought, making a mental note to shower once he got home.

The staff, visitors and patients that were in the cafeteria at the time had all watched him intently as he carried a mountainous tray of food to a table and dig in. They were stunned to see a man his size put away all that food. Once he had eaten his fill, Leon then left the hospital. He noticed the nurse that he had accosted on his way out. They both gave each other nervous smiles. His for the way he had acted and her for the fear of him that she still had. Leon shook his head and left the hospital, moving through the automatic doors.

The staff had offered to call a cab for him, but Leon had turned down the offer. Even though he was several blocks from home, he thought he could do well with a walk. It would help clear his head and allow him to get his bearings, wondering what he had missed in the past two to three days. Leon also needed the fresh air. The sun was out and he was thankful for the warmth it provided. The sidewalks were lined with people going about their daily business.

Leon had never been one for crowds. Too many people brought up old memories for him. Just thinking about the "what ifs" made him shudder. Like, what if all these people around him were zombies? That thought alone made him want to push through the crowd and run home. But as he walked he noted how happy some people were.

Families with small children laughed as they walked by. Teens with friends talked amongst themselves, sharing stories of their youth. People who could only assume were lovers walked through the crowd, hand in hand and leaning on each other's shoulders. Leon watched it all and silently envied the people he passed by. He envied that he may never have a life like these people had. He envied their happiness and how they were all perfectly content with their lives as he was not. Leon wasn't complete. He didn't feel entirely whole like these people did. All he really wanted was to share his life with that one special someone.

The crosswalk ahead of him changed color. Everyone started to move with the flow of the crowd as he started to go with them, coming to the back of the crowd. He shoved his hands in his pockets and decided to change sidewalks while the timing was right. As he neared the crosswalk, someone on the parallel sidewalk caught his attention, making him gasp.

It was like something out of a dream. Like something had shined a spotlight on her and only her. Everyone else in his field of vision had vanished. He was transfixed by her, wondering if it was possible that she could be here right now. She was moving east along the sidewalk while he was pointed north, toward the crosswalk of a busy, four lane road. She was right there, less than fifty yards away. Ada.

She was half obscured by the crowd but Leon could make out the black hair and tall, slender form. Ada wore a black leather jacket, which made it impossible for him to tell what she had on underneath. And for some reason, she wore the same ribbon around her neck that he had seen her with in Spain. It flowed down her back like an extension of her hair. Much more delicate than a scarf. And even more so sensual. At least, it was to him. Her back was to him somewhat. Was it because she had seen him and wanted him to follow her? Or was it possible that she didn't even know he was near her? It made no difference. If there was ever a time to get to her and talk with her, it was now.

"ADA!" Leon yelled over the roar of people and cars and other noise of the town.

She heard him and turned around, a look of surprise on her face.

"_Well at least I know that I saw her first in this little game of cat and mouse" _he thought as he rushed off the sidewalk and into the street. He wasn't going to lose her again. Not when she was so close and within his reach. Leon didn't even care about what he was going to say, just that she would be there to hear him say it.

Unfortunately, Leon was so fixed on Ada that he didn't see the crosswalk signal change. That was why what happened next, happened. It was so fast that his mind didn't have time to comprehend it. Just bits and pieces were fed to him.

The car came at him fast, hitting him just as he took two steps into the middle of the street. Forty miles per hour is a fast speed once it's broken down for the mind to understand. Some say it's the equivalent of having your legs cut out from under you and then having a wrecking ball collide with you. This was almost what it was like for Leon. The bumper drove into his knees, causing instant pain and sending him upwards, into the path of the grill and windshield. The onward force of the car drove Leon into the windshield. The glass impacted under his body, his back flying through the windshield and causing it to break as well as drive the air from his lungs. The car screeched to a stop and threw Leon off the hood and into the street. He didn't move, didn't breath and didn't bother to speak. All he could do was just lay on the ground and stare off into the startled crowd to get one last glimpse of her. Leon found that he could not see her and in one, desperate attempt to reach out to her, he extended his arm toward the crowd of people that came his way to offer assistance.

"A—da" he managed to sputter before he passed out. And the darkness took him away again.


	4. Stockholm Syndrome

**Special thanks to **_**AdaLeon, Agent Ada Kennedy, Ada Wong-x-Leon Kennedy, Super Sandra, Chaed, SeeYouAround, Ada Adore, Lord of the Trees, …Wow and HeroOfDarkness2005. Your comments have meant a lot to me and are really the only reason I keep this story going.**_** And I thank everyone who has clicked on this story and read it thus far.**

**Author's note: Sorry for the delay. I've been busy, working, schooling, partying. Mostly partying…………ok, that was a lie. The main thing is that this chapter is up. You guys finally get a good scene with **_**you know who**_**. I hope you enjoy it. You moochers.**

**III**

"Oh yeah, he's dead"

People are so ignorant. If only they knew what they were doing they would be able to see what was really happening around them. Most importantly, a person is only dead when they've lost a pulse and the will to live. The crowd hadn't checked for either of those things. Leon had both of them.

His eyes fluttered open and all he saw were feet and legs around him. Like a sea of blue denim and shoes. It was all that he was able to make out. Leon registered that he was lying down on the pavement and wondered what had happened to him. He tasted blood in his mouth, felt the grit of the road against his skin and was sore in just about every place on his body. His hearing was completely shot to hell. Just a small ringing sensation and the dull sound of his own heart beat were the only sounds that made their way to his brain.

"_What the shit?" _he wondered.

Then, slowly, pieces of what had transpired came to him.

Ada, street, traffic, car, pain, air, broken glass, pain, metal, air, pavement, pain.

Leon finally realized where he was and what had happened to him in order for himself to be at the point he was.

"_Okay, I was hit by a car and I'm most likely forty different types of fucked up right now. But that doesn't matter. I'm okay, I can work through this. I have to. Ada's out there. So,get off your ass and go to her Kennedy. Don't just lay there like a bitch"_

Leon started to stir and the crowd backed off slightly as he pushed himself off the pavement with one arm, gritting his teeth as he did so. It was strange. Normally getting hit by a car hurt a hell of a lot more. That was when he noticed that his other arm was cocked at a weird angle at his shoulder. It didn't hurt at all, but Leon knew that it wasn't supposed to do that. Slowly his hearing started to come back and he could make out a choir of voices all around him as people spoke amongst themselves, voicing their concerns for him. Sitting up right on the pavement, he touched his hand to his temple and hissed in pain, trying to shake off his injuries. There was a dull pain in his head and when he took his hand away he saw a small amount of blood on it. Leon used the rest of his forearm to wipe away the rest. A man came up to him and knelt down to assess his injuries. Leon looked at him with a mixed expression of confusion, pain and disorientation. That's when he looked past the man and at the vehicle that was behind them both.

The hood of the Explorer looked like something heavy was dropped on it. A considerable dent pushed it down towards the engine it covered. The windshield was completely totaled. It cracked and spider-webbed across the entire pane, creating a familiar effect. It was rather large, like a cinderblock had been tossed at it for the desired effect. Had he really caused that much damage to the car just by colliding with the glass?

The man looked at Leon and, without touching him, tried to see how bad he was banged up. The whole situation was new to him. He had never been struck by a vehicle before. And Leon didn't particularly care either. Nothing felt broken and aside from the bloody forehead, his arm and disorientation, he felt alright for the most part. All he cared about was getting his bearings and going after Ada. But first he had to get some answers as well as get the crowd off his back. He turned to the man crouched down next to him. Even though he could still hear and see everyone, the crowd seemed to disappear leaving just the two of them.

"How long was I out?" Leon asked the guy.

"What?" the man asked him, a little confused by the question.

"HOW LONG WAS I OUT!" he asked again, this time yelling and shaking his good arm.

Leon didn't have time to play games. He had to get back on his feet and find Ada, no matter how messed up he was.

"Uh…like thirty seconds. Why should that matter?" the man asked, bewildered.

Thirty seconds. He had been unconscious for half a goddamn minute. That would have given Ada more than enough time to disappear into the crowd. That was if she wasn't still here, watching the whole debacle unfold. Leon started to get up to his feet and the man tried to keep him down, not wanting him to complicate his condition any more.

"No, no man, you need an ambulance" he said, putting a hand gently on Leon's chest as to make him stay put but to not advance any injury that he might have.

"It's okay, _I'm fine_" Leon said as he got to his feet again and roughly shrugged off the man with his good arm.

"No you're not. Not even close" the man argued. "Look at you" he said pointing to Leon's arm.

His curiosity peaked, Leon looked past the man and crowd toward the smashed Explorer. Then he put two and two together and figured that the only reason that this guy was bothering him was because _he was the driver that had hit him_. The man obviously didn't want Leon suing him and he had no intention of doing that. He was walking, breathing and had no broken bones or internal bleeding. In other words, Leon was just as well off as when he left the hospital. He had to find Ada and there was no way this guy was going to stop him. Leon then looked at his left arm and saw how bent out of shape it was. The driver continued to talk to him.

"You're shoulder's dislo…"

There was a loud "_CLOCK_" sound of bone popping and crunching. A few of the crowd members gasped amongst themselves.

"…cated" the man finished as he, dumbfounded, witnessed Leon nonchalantly relocate his shoulder back into the socket that it had come out of.

Perplexed, Leon moved his arm around. There was no pain. None whatsoever. That was what tipped him off that something was out of place with him. He remembered dislocating his arm once as a kid. And it had hurt like hell when it had been relocated. Thinking nothing of it he shrugged it off and turned his attention back to the motorist, moving his arm around in a show-offy, condescending manner.

"See? Good as new. Now let me go" Leon said as he begrudgingly moved past the man and started to move through the crowd. The people reluctantly parted as he moved through, not even caring that he was leaving the scene of an accident.

"No man, you need a doctor. We need to get you to a hospital" the guy said, holding out a hand to stop him, while trotting after him.

"I just spent two days in a hospital and I'm not going back there" Leon called over the back of his shoulder, not even bothering to turn and face the man.

Leon kept walking, leaving the people to stare at the accident site. For some odd reason, only the motorist was following him. The man was showing general concern for Leon. Either that or he didn't want any legal repercussions from the accident.

"Dude, I don't know if you understand how serious this is. _I hit you with my car"_

"Yeah, I'm lucky like that" Leon sarcastically told the guy.

The man was a little taken aback by this statement but kept on pestering Leon.

"Seriously. You need to sit down and wait for an ambulance" the guy pleaded with him.

"Look" Leon said, turning around and pointing his hand at the man. "I'm not going to sue you. _I'm fine_. Just leave me alone." he finished, getting more and more irritated. He started to walk away from the motorist again.

Truth was, was that Leon _was_ fine. Aside from a little blood on his head and a lot of soreness in his body, he was walking fine and sitting pretty. That was until the guy kept bugging him. The man grabbed Leon by both of his shoulders in order to halt him. Leon's anger rose. This jackass was not going to stop him from finding Ada.

The man tried to make him understand, "You gotta stop and…"

That was it. No more distractions. No more waiting. He had a mission to do and he'd be damned if he was going to let a little thing like getting hit by a car stop him. Leon went strait for the knife he had on him and yanked it out of its sheath. At the sight of the weapon, a few people scattered, others screamed and a few stood their ground in stunned silence.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" Leon yelled as he brandished the weapon.

The man did as he was told and backed away, arms up in a surrender position.

"Okay dude, just be cool" the guys said, scared shitless.

Leon looked around him at all the scared and startled faces that lined the streets. Coming to his senses, he put the knife back in its sheath.

"Sorry" he grunted and took off through the streets, not even to bother to look back at the scene of the accident. No one stopped him.

**III**

After hours of fruitless searching, Leon decided to call it quits and go home. This didn't sit well with him as had never quit anything in his life. But who was he kidding? Trying to find one person in a city of hundreds of thousands by himself was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. He eventually stopped searching for Ada and headed home, making sure to stop at a grocery store to stock up on food first. As he walked, he noticed that the sun was starting to set on the horizon and it made him move faster in order to get home before it got dark. This was made difficult by the two very large brown paper bags he was carrying in both arms.

It was in the early evening by the time he reached the apartment complex. After juggling his keys and the groceries, he was able to unlock the front door and eventually make his way upstairs to his floor. Leon opened the door to his apartment to find it just the way he had left it. The same boring pad with the same boring shades drawn. After putting his groceries, jacket and knife away, Leon went upstairs and made his way to the shower. He removed his day old clothes and threw them in a pile by the bed.

Leon stayed under the hot water for a long time, letting it take him into a trance. He felt that if he stayed under the stream long enough it would wash away all his pain, sorrow, and memories. But it never happened. All the hot water did was make him warm, comfortable and slightly pruned. He let his mind wander to the vehicle accident and Ada, but it just made him exhausted. He bowed his head and watched as rivers poured off of his body, pooling to the floor of the shower.

Leon turned off the water, stepped out of the shower and shook the excess water from his hair before toweling himself off. A light mist of steam rose as the warm air of the shower mixed with the cold air of the rest of the bathroom. The effect was something that Leon was all too familiar with. Kind of like a fire rising from his skin. He took a towel and wrapped it tightly around his waist, regardless of the fact that he was alone in his apartment. The act was a force of habit more than anything else. He walked up and wiped his hand across the bathroom mirror to clear away the steam that had clung to it. Leon then leaned on the sink while he caught his breath.

His own reflection stared back at him as he turned around and used his arm to grab at the opposite shoulder, so he could get a better look at the stitches along his back. Looking into the mirror he could see the black lines that brought his flesh together. He noted at how clean the wound looked but was a perplexed to see that it didn't look raw or read. It was almost like a light-ish pink color.

"_Man, I must be feeling better" _he thought as he lightly touched the wound. "_This thing's already starting to heal"_

Leon gave a small snort of laughter and moved into his bedroom to change into some nightwear. After rummaging around in his dresser drawers he came across a pair of shorts and a beat up old t-shirt. He had just pulled everything on and was about to head out of his room and to the kitchen when the lights went out. The entire bedroom was plunged into darkness as Leon waited for his eyes to adjust.

"Shit" Leon said in annoyance, "Power's out"

He had paid the utility bill before he left for Spain, and he wasn't running any sort of equipment save for a few lights. There was nothing that he was doing or had done that would have tripped a breaker. Moving to the window, he thought that maybe a transformer had blew somewhere along the street. But as he looked out at the city below, he could still see street lights on as well as lights in people's homes across the street. The entire grid was still intact.

"_Is it just in this building then?" _ he thought as he listened for the sounds of his neighbors rummaging around and yelling in frustration.

There was nothing. So that meant the power failure was either only in his apartment or that it was throughout the building, spread in places he couldn't hear or see.

A sound, this time closer and somewhere below him, made him jump. Leon's survival instincts kicked in as the noise registered to him. It sounded as if something was moving downstairs. Almost like…

"_Someone's in the apartment" _he thought as he went to his nightstand to retrieve the Beretta 92 that he kept in there.

Ever since Raccoon, Leon had developed a nasty habit of hiding things within his dwelling. The 9mm Beretta 92 was one of three guns he kept in the loft. There was also his standard issue USP that he kept in the closet downstairs as well as a Glock 17 that he had cleverly hidden in a self-installed secret compartment of his coffee table. While he had to admit that leaving the ammo and weapons together in the same spots was dangerous, he didn't particularly want to fashion extra hiding spots should the need arise to defend himself quickly.

There was just one small problem. As he opened the drawer he saw that the weapon was missing. Not hidden underneath anything, because all he kept in the drawer was the gun. It was gone. Adrenaline surged through his body as the pieces to the puzzle started to come together.

"_There's someone in my apartment. They've gone through my things, found my gun and are going to kill me in the dark" _he mused as everything became so clear to him.

"Well, I've had worse days" he said calmly and quietly to himself as he slowly moved to his closet. "The least they could have done was knock"

The only other weapon he had was his knife, and that was in the same closet as his USP. So there was only one thing left that he could count on. As quietly as he could, Leon opened the door, reached in and removed the closest thing to a weapon he had present to him. An aluminum base ball bat. Simple, yet oh so practical. Now all he would have to do is move downstairs without being noticed and get the drop on whoever was slinking about. Easy.

**III**

For as long as he had been living in the apartment, Leon had gotten to know the place fairly well. He knew where everything was that would make a sound underfoot. All the creeks and moans of wood and floorboards. Anything that would stress underfoot. It was this that he tried to avoid as he slowly made his way out of his bed room and near the stairs that led down. Leon kept low to the floor as he walked, almost like a predator stalking prey. He wasn't scared, at least that's what he told himself. It was more like he had a higher sense of things as he trained himself to hear, see and feel for anything that was out of place.

As he neared the stairwell that led down, he gripped the bat tighter in his hands and looked at the metal stairs. He knew if he went down them that it would make too much noise and alert whoever was downstairs. Before advancing, Leon looked out over the banister and down into his loft. He traced the whole area with his eyes, like a sentry, looking for anything out of the ordinary. There was nothing at first, no sounds of anyone moving about. Just the distant sounds of cars passing in the distance. He noticed that moonlight had pierced the loft and settled on the floor of the living room. It cut a path across living room and entertainment center. It finally stopped near the base of the couch and coffee table and Leon focused his eyes on what was also there.

"_Oh shit" _he said inside his mind as his eyes made contact with the coffee table.

All three of his weapons as well as his knife were laid out on top of the small piece of furniture like they were going to be traded off at some swap meet. It was inconceivable. Someone had been in his home long enough to go through everything and remove the means he had of defending himself. And as he continued to look at the scene in front of him, he saw that the person most likely responsible was sitting on his couch with their back to him. The moonlight poured into the living area and fell onto their back, illuminating the back of their head and black hair. It was almost as if the person was waiting for him.

Leon took a few moments to let his mind process everything before he made his next move.

"_Okay Kennedy, whoever broke in here is obviously a pro and knows you. That coffee table spot was full proof. They don't want to kill you" _he stopped and thought about that point for several seconds, "_Well at least not yet. So, what you're going to do is go downstairs and see what this person wants. And then you're going to take the bat in your hands and play t-ball with their head"_

The only problem was that he had to figure out how to do that without getting shot at. A baseball bat was a far cry from a loaded firearm. And the person downstairs had three of those. If he took the stairs it would make too much noise and the intruder would be on him within seconds. He had to do this fast and quiet. The living room was about seventeen feet down. Nothing too difficult. After all the jumps and falls he had taken in Spain he knew he could make it.

Throwing caution to the wind, Leon leaped over the side of the banister and landed as softly as he could on the hardwood floor below in a crouch. The pads of his feet made audible "smack" sounds as they connected with the floor. As soon as he stood up a voice called out to him.

"I was wondering when you'd make your way downstairs" called out a sensual and familiar voice.

The person stood up and was instantly bathed in moonlight. She wore a tight fitting black, sleeveless button shirt and a pair of black slacks. But the view was something else. It was almost like he was looking like a ghost. The tall woman's pale, rosy skin was accentuated by the even paler white light that shown into the living room. Her raven black hair shown brightly in the moonlight, falling over her face in various locks. She smiled coyly as Leon lowered the bat, but kept a tight grip on the handle. Ada stood her ground and leaned against the couch with one hand.

"But you could have used the stairs you know?" she said, running her free hand through her hair.

The good news was that she wasn't pointing a gun at him. The bad news was that she had broken into his home, had probably gone through all his things in order to find his weapons, cut the power and to top it all off he had no idea what she wanted from him. It obviously wasn't to stop by and say hello.

"What are you doing here Ada?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

Even Leon couldn't lie to himself. He was thrilled to see her. Had wanted to be with her for so long. But he wanted it to be under different circumstances. After everything he'd been through in the past week or so, he had had enough of surprises and shit fly his way. And when it came to Ada, he had no idea of what her motives were until it was too late.

"This is a nice place" she said walking closer towards him, her hips swaying from side to side as she shifted her gaze around the living room. "How come you've never invited me over for a drink?" she smiled, crossing her arms. "I hope you don't mind about the guns. I'm just being careful is all"

"You didn't answer my question Ada" Leon said as he lightly twirled the bat in his hands, ready to defend himself if necessary. "How long have you been watching me or going through my things or waiting for me?" he continued to inquire as he shifted from one leg to the other.

All she did was smile at him, making him angry.

"I'm serious Ada. I want some answers" he growled.

"People in Hell want ice water Leon. That doesn't mean their going to get it" she mused, flipping her bangs out of her eyes.

"Fine" he said as he dropped the bat and went to her. The aluminum clattered to the floor.

In three steps, Leon grabbed her roughly by her arm and started to lead her toward the front door. As much as he loved and cared about her. As much as he dreamed that this moment would be a reality, he wasn't in the mood to play games with her this time around. And he didn't care if she kicked his ass right here, right now.

"What are you doing?" she asked, stunned at his actions

"You want to crash here? That's just aces with me. But if you don't want to play by my rules and answer me then you can shack up at a motel. Quid pro quo, Ada" Leon replied, not taking his eyes off the door.

As he walked her to the door he flipped open the fuse box on the wall and switched the circuit breaker back on. The room was instantly flooded with light. He half mumbled "I don't have time for this shit" as he did so. She started to struggle to break herself from his grip.

"Leon! He's going to kill me!" she pleaded, giving her arm a slight jerk.

That made him stop in his tracks and loosen the grip on her arm. His heart turned to ice as the words rang through his head. It was the first time he had ever heard fear in her voice. The thought of her in mortal danger overwrote any sort of grudge that he felt towards her. His caring nature and love for her took over instead. There was only one "He" that she could be referring to. Leon let her go and she rubbed her arm lightly.

"What did you do Ada?" he asked as he sat down on a stool in the kitchen to collect himself, holding his head with one hand. "What did you _do_ to piss off Wesker?"

"The Plagas sample" she answered.

"The one you took from me at gunpoint?" he asked. "I thought you were gonna put a nice red bow on it and hand deliver it to that snake"

"That's just it" she told him, crouching down so that she was eye level with him and touching him lightly on the shoulder. "I didn't give it to him"

Leon's head snapped up in astonishment. "What?"

"I sent Wesker a fake sample. I held onto the original. I have my own agenda for it"

Same old Ada, always with the ulterior motives. Leon saw right through her.

"And let me guess, these plans include me don't they?" Leon asked, tilting his head back and staring off into space. "That's the only reason you're here right? Or am I wrong?" he sat back on the stool. "Please, tell me I'm wrong and I'll apologize right now"

"I…can…it's late" she stammered, avoiding the subject and biting her lower lip. "Could we please discuss this in the morning. Please?" she asked worriedly, standing up.

Leon looked at her long and hard. She wasn't going anywhere. She needed him, after all. There would be time to talk later. He just wished that that time was now. However, he couldn't have everything he wanted.

"Fine, but we are going to play a hell of a round of twenty questions tomorrow. I mean it. Everything" he said, jabbing a finger at her.

Leon left Ada standing near the kitchen and went to the coffee table to collect his guns.

"_Great, now I'm going to have to find a new goddamn hiding place" _he thought as he looked down at the weapons, before stuffing one into his pants, near the small of his back. The metal was chilly against his skin.

He moved past Ada and was just about to make his way back upstairs when he turned to her.

"You can have the spare room on this level. It has its own bathroom in it and everything. You probably already know where it is" he said in a condescending way. Leon was just about to go upstairs when he turned back again and added "Oh, and the shower, uh, hot is cold and cold is hot" he added with a flip flop of his hand. "There are fresh towels in the cabinet underneath the sink"

"Why can't I spend the night in your room?" she asked seductively.

She was working his nerves. But in a good way. Leon almost wanted to smile at the quip. However, he still wasn't in the mood to play games with her. He turned and walked back upstairs.

"Good night, Ada" he said to her with a slight hint of coldness as he finished walking upstairs.

Ada was left on the lower level, smiling slightly. She enjoyed messing with him. It had become one of her favorite past times when she wasn't focused on business. Hopefully, when the time for business came, he would do what was needed. Ada then retired to the guest bedroom for the night and shut the door, hoping she dreamed sweet dreams of a man who was right above her.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Ada was awoken, startled by the sound of someone's muffled voice. She couldn't be sure, but it was close and sounded like someone was screaming for her.


	5. Macy's Day Parade

It happened again. Just like clockwork. Well, not quite like clockwork but still expected. Anticipated even. Something that one knew was coming and had no way of avoiding it. So he did what any person would do: He met it head on with disastrous consequences.

_They had just gotten off the giant elevator that had ferried the train and themselves down to the Umbrella lab. Leon went back inside the car to check on Ada. She wasn't doing so well. The monster's attack had been greater than he had originally assumed. Her dress was in tatters and the sliced fabric revealed the severity of her injuries. The cuts and gashes were pretty deep and there was blood everywhere. Ada had slipped into unconsciousness or perhaps shock. Leon couldn't make out the difference. Without proper medical attention, her situation would worsen. And he would not let that happen to her. Not now, when they were so close to the end of their journey. _

_Despite being tired, cold, scared and by all other means drained, Leon gathered up his strength, brought her seemingly lifeless body up into his arms and carried her into the facility. Her blood seeped into his clothes and hands as he carried her. Leon had just hoped to Christ that there was something that he could use to patch her up._

_He had been rewarded once he had set foot in the lab and found a waiting room of some sort. After setting her down on a cot in the room, Leon had been angered to see that there was nothing he could use. Worry had set in relatively fast and he didn't know if she was going to make it or not. He wasn't a trained professional and only had a limited grasp on first aid. It had been touch and go with her for a while. All that he could do was pray that she would wake up. And he was relieved when she had begun to stir._

_She had blinked awake slowly and tried to move. Leon's heart had leapt when he saw her come to. Her chest moved up and down, her breathing stable. He leaned in close so she wouldn't have to move. Ada looked at him with her lovely eyes. They were still cold and uncaring, but he saw them soften when she realized what he had done for her._

"_I'll go find something to treat that wound. So just rest here in the meantime" he had told her, touching her lightly on the shoulder._

_She looked so weak that he was astounded when she found the strength to speak and move a little._

"_But, I'll only slow you down with these injuries" she had pleaded with him, her voice dripping with fatique. "Go, save yourself"_

_Leon didn't know if it was his nature to help people or his budding love for the woman, but he had ignored the statement. He would not allow her to give up now or allow himself to leave her behind._

"_I told you; it's my job to look after you" he replied to her, trying to sound firm and masculine._

_It was a lie, of course. It wasn't just his job to look after her. There was something more that he wasn't telling her. There were feelings that he was harboring and had not allowed to surface just yet. He didn't know if he could say what he was feeling. Or if she would reciprocate those feelings._

"_But you'll be in danger if you stay with me" she had pleaded. The next sentence seemed like it took a lot of effort for her to speak, she was in so much pain. "I know I've only known you for a short period of time, but I really enjoy being with you" she said, letting out a deep breath and allowing a small smile escape her._

"_I…" he had stammered._

_Leon had no way of reacting to her statement. He didn't know if he should read into it anymore than he already had. Was she just a survivor that he was helping or was she something more? It was true that it had been a long time since he had liked a woman as much as her. Could it be possible that a relationship could form between the two of them, in this place, in such a short amount of time? Was it possible that they were on the same wavelength. Could she feel for him what he was feeling for her?_

"_I know I'm not capable of caring about anyone. But I don't want to lose you" she said before turning her head away and letting him ponder her words._

_That had solidified it. He was not going to lose her to these monsters. He'd take them all to Hell with him before he'd let that happen. She was so beautiful yet so weak. There was no way of knowing whether or not she could keep going. His heart was breaking for her. It didn't seem like she had the strength left. But that was alright. Leon had enough strength for both of them. He had brushed the hair out of her eyes, leaving a small stain of blood, her blood, on her forehead._

"_We're leaving this place together" he said, standing up. _

_He didn't have to say anything more after that. It was as if his word was made the statement truth and unchangeable. But fate always has a trick up its sleeve. The sequence of events may have been different and horrifying, but it always ended the same. It ended with him losing his grip on her and watching as she fell out of sight and to her death. And then he screamed. Screamed her name out as loss, depression and fear gripped him and tore him from his slumber._

**III**

Leon awoke the same way as he always did; breathing heavily, drenched in his own perspiration and screaming Ada's name. He shook off the nightmare and let his head fall back against the moistened pillow before staring up at the ceiling. He let his mind wander as his heart rate returned to normal. After a few minutes he rolled over and looked at his clock.

"Ah, man" he grumbled as he saw the readout's display, and put a hand over his eyes.

It was 4:30 in the morning.

"So much for sleeping in" he said to himself as he threw the covers off his body.

If there was one thing that he knew about himself it was that once he was awake, he was _awake_. Sleep was out of the question now. There was no way he would be able to fall back to it. The only question was how would he occupy his time for the next several hours?

Without bothering to turn on a light, Leon got out of bed and made his way to his bathroom where he proceeded to answer nature's call before returning to the bedroom. He walked over to the desk that sat near the window and held his computer and was about to flick the power button on when something nagged at his mind.

What if he had woken her up? Granted she was a floor below him and he had soundproofed his room as much as possible. But Leon hardly had visitors and never knew if his cries ever escaped his bedroom at night. He would feel like shit if he had woken Ada up this early.

"_What if she'd heard me clearly?"_ he wondered.

He wasn't really in the mood to explain to her what he had been going through night after night for the past six years. That wasn't a conversation he was ready to have just yet. With anybody for that matter. Some things were better left bottled up. Even if it did cause him to lose sleep.

After hitting the power button for his computer Leon crept downstairs as quietly as he could, traveling down the spiral stairs into his living room. The entire area was dark, as the moon was setting on the other side of the apartment complex. But, like many people, Leon was able to find his way in the lack of light. He moved through the living room, his feet gliding across the hardwood floor as he came within several feet of the guest bedroom. He was just about to reach for the doorknob when he stopped and stood in the hall.

"_Okay" _he thought, "_Think very carefully about what you're about to do Kennedy. There is a woman on the other side of that door, who you hardly know mind you, that has threatened to shoot you at least three separate times. Not to mention, but you are alone with her in this loft" _he continued to debate with himself. "_Now, do you really want to open that door knowing full well that it might result in you getting shot, stabbed or receiving a serious ass kicking?"_

Leon let his forehead fall against the wall near the door as softly as he could in frustration. It was all a mute point. He wasn't about to stand around until she decided to open the door. Besides, a small peak to make sure that she was still out for the night was all he would need to prove to himself that he hadn't roused her. Gripping the door knob, Leon turned it and cracked the door open.

Looking inside through the darkness, he could make out several suitcases that had obviously been moved there since he went to bed. As they sat at the foot of the nightstand, he wondered what was held within them. Leon didn't think Ada would be foolish enough to keep the plagas sample on her. So his next best guess was that the suitcases held clothes or other personal items. A rustling sound caught his attention and he moved his line of sight up towards the bed. Leon watched through the darkness as he saw a shape under the blankets move, a mess of black hair poked out near the top.

He smiled to himself as he watched Ada roll over in her sleep and coddle the pillow she rested her head on. Obviously she found her accommodations to be acceptable and was getting, what he could only assume to be, a good nights rest. What Leon found appeasing was the look of serenity on her face. The only times that he had seen Ada, she had either been cold and business like or playful and seductive. Now there was something that he had never seen on her features before. Peacefulness. It was all the reassurance that he needed to prove to himself that she hadn't heard his cries only minutes ago. With that, he closed the door and moved back upstairs without realizing that his new roommate had been playing possum.

When she was sure that he had left, she opened her eyes slowly and looked strait at the door, as if waiting to see if he would come through again. But, her hopes were diminished when he did not. That didn't keep her from concentrating on what she had heard several minutes ago.

"Someone's keeping secrets" she said to herself before turning over and going back to sleep.

**III**

When Leon returned to his bedroom he saw that the computer had finished booting up. The monitor displayed a black background and a series of green coding. It was the only source of light illuminating the room, creating an otherworldly glow. He put a hand on the back of his neck and let his gaze wander around the room for a few seconds before looking at his bed.

"_Why does that always happen?" _he wondered as he noticed that one side of the bed was stained with sweat. There was a noticeable indentation from the many seasons he had spent sleeping in the bed.

He wondered why, no matter what, he always slept to one side of his spacious queen sized mattress. Most people took advantage of such a large sleeping area. But not him apparently. Leon shrugged it off and figured he'd worry about much, much later. Right now he had something else to attend to.

Most computers in the world displayed a desktop image when they were turned on. But Leon's was different. The computer was encrypted and required log in codes to access it. As he sat down in the chair, his hands flew across the key board, making "click-clack" noises as he typed. Eventually he completed everything that was needed and reached to turn off the speakers. Within seconds he was into the desktop and accessing his address book. Leon wanted to check his contact numbers, numbers of friends. But something stopped him.

"_He's going to kill me!"_

Ada. Leon tilted back in the chair and stared at the ceiling. She wouldn't have sought him out unless she could handle what ever was happening to her by herself. And that was just it. She couldn't handle this by herself. So she had come to him for protection. This was something new, something she wasn't prepared for. She had danced with the devil and lost. Big time. If what she had said was true, if she had kept the plagas sample for herself then it was very possible that she was a dead woman. Leon didn't know Wesker, didn't know what he was capable of. But he was willing to put money on the fact that the man would not be happy with being royally fucked over by anyone.

Leon let his mind wander, tilting his head back, he thought about the other angles that Ada might be playing. He didn't think that she wanted to kill him. They had risked their lives for each other too many times for her to want to do that. At least, that's what Leon hopped was the case. He hopped that she felt for him what he felt for her and that it was enough to keep him breathing for the next day or so. There was the possibility that she wanted him to do something. Something that under any other circumstance he might find disagreeable. Or illegal. The only other thing that came to mind was that she wanted something that he had.

"_Or maybe you're just being paranoid" _he thought as he sat in his chair and waited for the sun to rise over the horizon.

A few hours later, Leon was still watching the horizon when he heard the sound of running water somewhere beneath him. It took him all of three seconds to realize that Ada was taking advantage of the shower downstairs. Leon looked over at the clock and saw that it was 7:30 in the morning. He had been sitting in the dark, spacing out for over three hours. Leon contemplated checking in on Ada but quickly thought against it. If checking in on her while she slept didn't earn him a bullet in the head, then doing the same thing while the woman was naked in the shower most certainly would. Instead, he thought of something else that he could do in the meantime.

**III**

Toweling off, Ada stepped out of the shower and into the guest bedroom when something caught her attention. It was something that she hadn't expected to hear or smell first thing in the morning. She quickly put on the white tank top and women's briefs that she had worn to bed, leaving her only a few millimeters of mid-drift and her long legs exposed and moved closer to the bedroom door. The clothing clung to her lightly damp body as she furrowed her brow in confusion. It sounded as if someone had a radio on and was…

"_Cooking breakfast?" _she wondered as the pieces came together.

Running her hands through her damp hair, Ada threw the towel around her shoulders and opened the door, walking out into the living room. The music became a little louder once the barrier was removed and she could clearly hear the song that played from the speakers. Staind's "It's Been Awhile" played from the entertainment system in Leon's living room. She looked at the stereo system before the smell of bacon and eggs turned her attention towards the kitchen. There she saw Leon standing by the stove with his hand on a skillet, concentrating on the culinary task at hand. He was stirring a spatula around the skillet and a sound of crackling heat erupted from the pan. He hadn't noticed her yet and she shifted her view to the island of the kitchen and glass dining table.

The man had laid out a place setting for each of them and small feast of fresh fruit, toast and jam and even a few homemade waffles. There were several containers on the island which held various beverages. Steam rose from the spout of a tea pot. Even though she wouldn't say it out loud, Ada had to admit that she was pretty impressed with his effort, having never been treated in such a way. Leon sensed she was near and looked up from the skillet, brushing his hair out of his face. She almost noticed the small, black sagging marks under his eyes as he gave her a gentle look. He was so handsome and she was seeing such a new side of him that it made her lower her guard a bit. There was no smile but the facial features were friendly nonetheless. He picked up a remote next to him and turned the music down.

"Morning. Hope you like scrambled eggs" Leon said as he brought the skillet over to the table and set it down on a heating pad.

"A man that can cook. I'm speechless" she said, putting a hand to her chest "What did I do to disserve such treatment?" she asked, as she sat down at the table.

Leon shrugged his shoulders, tilting his head to the side. "Well, I felt kinda shitty about last night and I wanted to make it up to you"

He motioned to the skillet and Ada nodded in agreement before he put some of the golden, fluffy eggs and darkened bacon on her plate.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" she asked, scooting closer to the glass table.

"I'm on vacation. Two month's paid leave. A little pat on the back for what went down in Spain" he said as he emptied the rest of the skillets contents onto his own plate. "How'd you sleep?" Leon asked, turning back to the oven to switch it off. The light blue fire sputtered and died down.

"Mmm…Fantastic" Ada said, stretching her arms over her head, almost as if she was gloating about it. She looked around at the food he had laid out and smiled, bringing both hands underneath her chin and letting it rest there "You certainly take care of your guests"

"I try. I was going to go with omelets but eh…", he said shrugging his shoulders in an "I don't care" fashion, "…not really my style"

"_Just like not following a woman's lead" _she thought and smiled, thinking back to Spain.

"What about you? I trust you had pleasant dreams?" she asked, picking up a fork and twirling it between her slender fingers.

Leon paused for a brief moment, concerned that she might use the fork in a deadly manner before dismissing the idea. He noticed that he had took to long to answer and tried to play it off like he'd zoned out.

"Yeah, yeah" Leon said rather quickly. "Slept like a rock", he lied.

Ada eyed him suspiciously, seeing right through him but keeping her mouth shut about it. He noticed this and attempted to change the subject. Leon moved to the island and pointed to several containers.

"Water? Tea? Coffee? Fresh squeezed orange juice?" he said, picking up the last option and shaking it slightly. The liquid swished back and forth in the container.

"Wow" she said, letting her surprise escape slightly "Is this an apartment or a bed and breakfast?" she asked as he set the beverage containers down in front of her. "All that's missing is an apron with the words "Kiss the Cook" stitched on it"

"Sorry" he said, bringing the tea pot over to her. "Bed, Bath and Beyond were all out"

Ada smiled and took a bite of eggs. Instantly she was astounded by the flavor and texture. She had eaten breakfast before, but never like this. Leon must have added his own brand of flair to his cooking to bring out such a taste.

"I had no idea you could cook this well" she said as she placed a napkin on her lap.

"There's a lot you don't know about me. Like how I can survive getting hit by a car" he said, a small hint of sarcasm escaped his voice.

"Hey, I wasn't the one that walked out into oncoming traffic Leon" she said, waving her fork at him in a mock, accusing manner"

"Touché" he replied as he poured himself a cup of coffee and helped himself to a waffle.

The sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying the meal and each other's company. Leon would eat and focus on his food for awhile before looking at Ada while she ate. He did this for some time before she looked at him. Then he would play it off by looking out in another direction. This went on for some time before they were both staring at each other. In a small hint of desperation, Ada attempted to start up conversation again.

"It's nice here in the morning", she said, "Peaceful"

"You know what they say about real estate", he answered, chomping on a piece of bacon

Ada answered without missing a beat. "Location. Yes, very clever. How long have you been here?" she asked.

" 'Bout three years, give or take" he answered.

Ada padded her mouth with her napkin and let out a small, almost microscopic burp. She continued, "I noticed something" she said, causing Leon to lift his head from his food.

"What's that?" he asked.

"You have photos of friends and family. But no girlfriends. Anything you want to elaborate on. Has someone been a lonely boy? Hmm?" she smiled playfully.

"_Ohhhh shit. Is she really going to go there?" _he groaned inward.

He didn't want to tell her that she'd been in his mind for every day ever since Raccoon. He had tried moving on at first. But every relationship he had started ended up crashing and burning. He had sworn off women for a bit, almost like he was holding out for her. But Leon would never say this to Ada's face. So he did the next best thing and fudged the truth.

"Busy is more like it" he replied before taking a sip of coffee.

"Come on Leon. What have you been doing since Raccoon?" she asked, hoping for a story.

"I should be asking you the same thing" he replied, trying not to get his emotions riled up.

"You first" she said, giving him a small smirk.

Leon eyed her, knowing he'd have to pick and choose his battles. Was this Ada's angle? Find out his personal history? She could have done that any other way, yet she was doing it with him over breakfast. He hated playing these games, but figured "What the hell". At least he'd be getting some answers from her in return.

Leon set his eating utensils down and began, "After Raccoon, I moved around a lot, found people who worked with anti-Umbrella agencies. Shacked up with them for a bit. Ruffled a lot of feathers and pissed off all the right people. Blew up a lot of stuff too. It wasn't long before I go a knock on my door from the U.S. government. They recruited me, trained me, sent me on some missions, etc… I rose through the ranks, was awarded this and that. It's all really boring, macho army guy stuff"

"That about the time you got that cushy job babysitting the Presidents daughter?"

Leon tapped his temple twice with an index finger and pointed it in Ada's direction to confirm that she was right.

"What about you? What have you been up to all these years?" he asked "Spying, right?"

"Leon, "spying" is such a dirty word. I like to think of it as excessive and invasive vigilance" she said in a playful manner, "But as far as what I've been up to, more or less of the same as you. Except with more espionage, stealing and enjoying time on some really nice beaches"

"Lucky you" he replied, slightly bitter.

An uncomfortable silence descended on them for a few minutes before she spoke up again.

"How long before you knew I was still alive" she asked, as if reading his mind.

He felt his stomach flip flop as the memories spilled into his head. "About four month's after the city was nuked. Had some friends dig up some info on you. Not much came up but what did was enough to trace you and discover that you were still breathing"

"And how did that make you feel" she asked, crossing her hands.

Leon tried to find the right word to express the overwhelming sensation that he had felt when it had been confirmed that she had survived Raccoon.

"Relieved" he answered in a genuine tone. He pushed his plate aside and asked "Ada, why didn't you ever contact me? I could have helped you"

"Help me?" she half laughed and half scoffed, "Leon we weren't on the same side. I was…"

"Sent to get a G-virus specimen. Yeah, I know. I caught the whole post script a few months later. Lovely story really" he said cynically, cutting her off. "I also found out you were working with Wesker. What I want to know is why?"

"I'll say this again. What's it to you Leon?" Ada asked, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I have my reasons. If it'll make you happy, let's just say I want to know in order to give myself some closure" he said, leaning forward in his chair and giving her a hard look.

"Fine then" she relented, "The simple answer is that he saved my life and got me out of Raccoon before it turned into a crater"

"And what made you want to spit in his face and come running to me? I mean besides the whole "I stole something valuable from him and he won't let me get away with it" sort of thing. Oh, I should also mention that I _still_ have no idea what you've done with or what you plan to do with that plagas sample"

"I have _my reasons_ for what I do" she saw that he was getting agitated and held up a palm to calm him down. "Relax, I'm not going to do something stupid with that sample. I said I'd take good care of it. Any way, Wesker only cares about people and things that he can manipulate for his own ends. But I knew the day I stopped being useful is the day that I would get disposed of. If he thinks he can manipulate me, then he's sorely mistaken" she finished, with a "put off" attitude.

"So how does that play into what happened in Raccoon? How did I fit into all of that exactly?

"Something about meeting you changed me. I won't go into detail but helping you involved failing and betraying Wesker"

"Then why did he save you? He could have left you to die with the rest of Raccoon"

"The only reason I was spared was because I brought him a G-virus tissue fragment"

"_Tissue fragment? God, she scavenged something off of Birkin's corpse" _he thought.

It was the only logical answer. The only other possibility that made sense.

"Jesus" he said shaking his head lightly, "So what changed? You said you didn't hand over the plagas sample to him. Is that it?"

"Yes" she replied.

"And when he found out about it, you're usefulness to him ended. So what's to stop him from sending someone here to blow my apartment to the moon? I can only assume he knows how to find me. Right?"

"That's not Wesker's style Leon. If he was going to X someone out he would have it done in the field where no one is going to ask questions"

Leon got up from the table and put a hand to his head. All of this was hard to digest. He had hoped for much more pleasant answers to his questions. While she had given him what he wanted to know, she had remained ambiguous about much of it. That fact, more than any other, put Leon on edge. There were too many holes in her story. The last thing he wanted was for all of this to blow up in his face. He then lowered his hand and turned to Ada, putting a hand on his hip.

"We're not so different Ada. You and I" he said, directing his arm at her.

All she did was look at him inquisitively. Leon continued.

"You know my dad once taught me something. He said "growing up, you can become cops, or criminals. But ever since Raccoon, I came to realize that there was a flaw with that philosophy. There's something that they don't teach you. The point is, when you're facing a loaded gun; what's the difference?"

Ada gave him a cold look before opening her mouth to retort.

"Yeah, well there's also something _my _father taught me, Leon. The world isn't black and white. Just shades of grey"

Leon sighed, rolled his eyes and started to clean up the breakfast items. As he did so, one thing ran through his mind.

"_And I thought I knew the difference between thieves and crooks"_

**Author's note: There's a lot I wanted to do with this chapter. So much got left on the "cutting room floor" so to speak. But that's okay. At least this way I don't throw too much at you too early in the story. Kinda gives me time to develop the relationship between the two and leave the other stuff for later chapters. And yes I put some dialogue in here from the Umbrella Chronicles, and Resident Evil 2 as well as a line from the movie "The Departed" all credit for that goes to the original writers. Not me.**

**Hopefully this chapter turns out alright and does not suck ass.**


	6. Can't Get My Head Around You

**Author's note: Thanks to Holly 1818, Houshin, Cloner4000, Avan, Mr. L Kennedy, and Achika-chan. Your comments along with everyone else's are fuel for the fire that is my brain.**

**SAW II is owned by Lionsgate films and the respected writers/creators. The lines I included ****are not mine**** and all credit goes to those I just mentioned. **

**III**

After cleaning up from breakfast, Leon and Ada went off into their own respected areas of the apartment. Her to finish getting herself together for the day and him to do much of the same. The only difference was that he needed some time to think about what she had told him. He went back to his bedroom and paced a bit, letting his feet glide across the carpet as he attempted to collect his thoughts. His conversation with Ada had left more questions than answers. There was so much that he still didn't know. Or more precisely, there was so much that he hadn't bothered to ask. The problem was that Leon had never been much of a conversationalist. He had been too caught up in her asking what his personal history after Raccoon had been that he had missed the bigger issues. It was those points that he thought about as he moved around his bedroom.

The most that he'd been able to get out of her was that she had escaped Raccoon's destruction with Wesker's help and that sometime either during or after Spain, she had turned her back on him and kept the plagas sample for herself. But it was obviously that decision which drove her to fear for her life and seek Leon's protection. Lest she face whatever wrath Wesker could throw at her. What Leon wanted to know was why. Why she was doing what she was and why _he_ had to be involved.

"_What I should have done was ask her why she kept the sample. And more importantly, what she's gonna do with it? Ada wouldn't have done that without a damn good reason. But what I want to know is why she came to me, of all people"_

She was certainly capable of taking care of herself. But she wouldn't have come to him if she couldn't handle what was coming. At least, that's what he thought. There had to be other people that she could depend on. Yet, she still turned to him.

Something about it all stunk. It was too clean cut, and that wasn't Ada's style. When it came to that woman, she always had another motive for what she did. There was something that she was hiding, and he wanted to know what it was. There had to be a lot more than the fact that she didn't want to be manipulated by Wesker any longer or that she had outlived her usefulness to him. That wasn't reason enough for her to screw him over. No, there was something much bigger going on inside that head of hers.

"_Just what the hell was she doing, working for him anyway? What reason could she possibly have for going to Raccoon and doing what she did? And then to go and pull the same stunt again in Pueblo"_

Those were the big questions. Yet he had been so caught up in everything that she had told him that he had completely disregarded the more important aspects of their time together. It was her tale of escape that had made him lose track of his questions. What truly repulsed him more than anything was that the only reason Wesker valued her life was that she had given him what he wanted. She had supplied him with a G-virus sample. Outside of that, she was expendable. It made him sick to think that she would have been left to die if it hadn't been for her timely actions.

Leon continued to ponder as he walked over to the window and looked out at the street below. He sighed heavily and put an arm against the window, resting his head against it. Traffic was already picking up. The sounds of horns and accelerating engines called out to him. He saw tiny figures walking the streets, ready for the day ahead of them. The Sun had risen significantly and the light came through the window and warmed his body. He welcomed the heat, which provided him with a sense of comfort. Leon closed his eyes and let the sun beat against him as it started to lull him away from his thoughts.

"_Something about meeting you changed me"_

Ada's words brought him back to reality, the sentence bringing new questions into his mind. Just what the hell did that mean? Did her meeting with him in Raccoon alter the way she did business? Did it make her rethink her personal motives? Made her more human? Allow her to love or to think differently? Or had their meeting created an entirely different sort of effect on her? Was it possible that he was a factor in Ada's betrayal of Wesker? Leon would never know. That is unless he confronted her about it. And it was perhaps that subject, more than any, which would propose a challenge for the two of them to discuss.

Leon pushed off from the window and moved about his bed and bathroom, getting himself cleaned and together for the day. But he still allowed his mind to focus on the important things.

The subject that kept coming into his head was her plans for the sample. She said she had an agenda for it. The only question was _what_ that agenda was and if it involved him. Leon thought long and hard about it all. There were still so many mysteries about Ada that needed to be unlocked. And he wouldn't stop until he knew everything he could about the woman in red. He just needed to be patient. But it was his patience that was beginning to wear thin.

**III**

Leon had done well to avoid the subject of why he wasn't seeing anyone. But Ada was far from stupid. Sooner or later she would want to know things in more detail. At the rate he was at, Leon thought it best to try and tip toe around that topic as long as possible. And it was something he found able to do surprisingly well.

They kept to themselves for the remainder of the day. It was funny. Now that he had all this time to himself, Leon would have been outside, enjoying the fresh air and the freedom it provided. Freedom from all the pain, horror and suffering that was his life. Either that or he'd be doing something constructive like cleaning his guns or e-mailing comrades. But instead, he found himself lying on his couch and watching a movie. He should have been more persistent in questioning Ada, but felt that such a conversation would only provoke her. And then he'd be right back where he started. Leon needed rest instead, and found it better just to turn his brain off for the time being.

The film had just started when he felt Ada's presence near him. He turned over to find her standing behind the couch, fixated on the movie that was playing. Ada had changed clothes again and was wearing a form fitting t-shirt and grey sweat pants. It all translated to Leon so quickly: she was making her self comfortable. At home. Ada looked down at him and then back at the film. She had a strange look on her face. A mix of intrigue and annoyance all at once.

"I heard screaming" she said as she watched a half naked man with a strange device strapped to his torso yell out in an empty room. A lone light bulb illuminated the area.

"Sorry if I bothered you" Leon replied.

Leon turned his attention back to the movie, seemingly forgetting that Ada was right there, just as intent on watching it as he was. They saw as the man continued to yell for help. Then without warning, a television set came to life, displaying a mysterious ventriloquist puppet that proceeded to address the scared and scarred man.

"_Hello, Michael. I want to play a game. So far, in what loosely could be called your life, you have made a living watching others. Society would call you an informant. A rat. A snitch. I call you unworthy of the body you possess. Of the life you've been given. Now we will see if you are willing to look inward, rather than outward, to give up the one thing you rely on in order to go on living. The device around your neck is a death mask. The mask is on a string timer. If you do not locate the key in time, the mask will close. Think of it like a Venus Flytrap"_

The view changed to a camera feed as a hooded man hovered over the body of another, unconscious man. The puppet continued with the voiceover.

"_What you're looking at right now is your own body, not more than two hours ago. Don't worry, you're sound asleep, and can't feel a thing. Taking into account that you are at a great disadvantage here, I am going to give you a hint as to where I have hidden the key. So listen carefully. The hint is this_:"

There was a brief flash of a skull X-ray, displaying the horrible and gut wrenching truth. The key in question was surgically placed behind the man's eye.

"_It's right before your eyes. How much blood would you shed to stay alive, Michael? Live or die... Make your choice_"

And with that, the television shut off, leaving the man to his fate.

Ada sighed, "Why do you watch this?" she asked, rolling her eyes and shaking her head slightly.

"It helps me forget what happened six years ago" Leon replied from his resting place on the couch.

"You're kidding" she said with a slight scoff. "And how, exactly does this…" she said, pointing to the screen as the man attempted to take a scalpel to his eye, "help?"

"I had a friend suggest that a way to help put Raccoon behind me was to watch something even more messed up. Something that would override what I saw there" , he answered in a fatigued voice.

"And is it working?" Ada asked, cocking an eyebrow and folding her arms across her chest.

Leon watched as the man attempted to gouge out his eye with a scapula in order to retrieve the key. But due to the pain, he was unwilling to. And thus the man was left to die as the timer device went off, closing it around his head. Killing him. The man's lifeless body fell to the ground. His eyes were dead and soulless and blood trickled out of the mask.

"Not really" he answered, almost disappointed.

Time passed and later in the day, Leon found himself in the small workout area of his apartment. He was surrounded by all the equipment in the room and went from one machine to the next, working up a good sweat. It gave him a sense of piece, allowing him to take his mind off things. The room was filled with an assortment of weight machines, free weights, dumb-bells, a tread mill and a bench press station.

He had just finished a set of one handed pushups and had moved onto the punching bag in the room. Leon let loose a flurry of strikes, letting his knuckles impact the bag again and again. The force he exerted traveled through his arms, jarring them. But in a good sense. In a way, it was like the worlds largest stress reliever. After what seemed like thousands of punches, Leon decided that he had had enough. Then some of his training came to him and to finish up the exercise right. He turned and executed a perfect round house kick right into the center of the bag.

The impact caused the bag to shift its weight. It pulled on the chains that held it in place. The tension was too great and the weight of the bag caused the chains to rip out of the ceiling. The bag fell to the ground with a thunderous "wham" sound.

"_Shit" _he thought. The thing had been practically new.

All he could do was stand there in disbelief, wondering how the hell that could have happened. It was almost as if he thought staring at it long enough would reverse the damage. He heard the door to the room open and turned around to see Ada standing there.

"Aw, looks like you broke your toy" she said in mock sympathy.

"Yeah. And I was having so much fun with it too" he said wiping the sweat from his face with his forearm.

Ada was transfixed on the workout area, scanning everything with her eyes, taking it all in. Then she looked right at him, letting her eyes fall up and down his body. She took in his form. The way his muscles pulsed underneath his shirt, the veins that stuck out on his arms, and the way he looked at her. A view of fatigue and focus was plastered on his face. He couldn't be sure, but it was almost as if she had a look of lust in her eyes. Like she was checking him out or something to that effect. Or he could have been reading into things too much. Then Leon saw her frown in confusion.

"What's that?" she asked, nodding her head upwards slightly.

Leon turned around and looked where she was looking. There was a small section of the room that Leon had set aside with mats. They were the kind that normally were used for wrestling practice or gymnastics. But Leon had a much different use for them.

"That?" he asked with a jerk of his thumb, already knowing the answer. "That's just a little spot for sparing practice. Only problem is, all the guys at work won't come over cause I kick their asses at the company gym"

"Well" Ada said as a feisty look shot through her eyes. "Why don't you show me what you've got then"

"_No way" _he thought.

"Get out of here" Leon replied with a small snort of laughter. "I'm not gonna fight you"

"Why? Afraid you might lose?" she smiled at him before cracking her neck.

They stood in silence for a few moments, eyeing each other. Leon wondered if she was really serious. Ada walked past him, grazing a hand across his chest and making his heart catch in his throat. She then stepped onto the mats.

"I'm not as delicate as you think Leon. You should know that by now" she said as she stretched out. "Come on. I'll make this interesting" she said, rolling her shoulders, "If I win, you have to make me diner"

"And if I win?" he said with a smirk.

Ada was silent as she eyed him seductively.

"Well, I'm sure you can think of something. Can't you?"

Leon cocked an eyebrow at her. There was no way she was serious. Then again, with Ada, he never knew what to expect from her.

"_Jeez, is this what normal couples do?" ,_ he wondered to himself.

"Okay" he said with a dubious tone.

He shrugged and stepped onto the mats, making some distance between the two of them. His heart was racing a mile a second in anticipation for what was in store. Leon brought his fists up, taking a Tae Kwon Do stance. Then he watched as Ada took up an entirely different stance.

Leon had studied a few martial arts in his days. He had to in order to fight the way he did. The fighting style he saw before him was easily recognizable as She Quan, or the Snake Fist as some called it. A type of martial art that originated in China. Her form was clenched and compact, ready to strike. He knew that it was only a taste of things to come.

"_This outta be interesting_" he thought as she came at him.

Her movements were fast and fluid, just like the martial arts' name sake. Leon struggled to dodge her strikes as she shot her hands towards his face. Simple twitches of his head were all that it took to avoid the lightning quick strikes to his head. Ada's hand movements were like knife strikes, cutting the air inches from his head. Leon had to hand it to her, when she wanted something, she sure as hell went for it.

He was able to read her just enough to block some of her strikes. Deep, hard smacking sounds echoed in the room as flesh and bone collided. Ada kept coming on the offensive, forcing him back. She lashed out with a sweeping kick in the air, towards Leon's head. He caught it, clenched it with his arms and brought her leg down to chest level, trapping her. Ada whipped her hair out of her face and looked at him, balancing on one leg.

"You're holding back" she accused him.

It was true. Leon didn't want to hurt her. He knew all it would take was one good punch and she would be in a coma.

"Yeah" he answered, still holding her leg.

"Don't" she said, pushing her self up and kicking with her other leg towards his head.

Leon let go fast and rolled out of the way as Ada fell to the ground and shot back up. He figured play time was over. Lashing out with a side kick, the sole of his foot that headed towards her did nothing. Ada simply side stepped it and came at him with more strikes. Leon was almost able to see the thrill in her eyes. She was eating this up.

This went on for some time as they sparred, getting their adrenaline up. Leon was just glad that all they were using were fists and feet. Anything else and he would have no idea of how it would play out. He waited patiently till she let her self slip. When she finally did, he was ready. Leon smiled and let loose a strait punch towards her, hoping to catch her off guard.

He was fast butAda was faster. She blocked his strike, grabbing his wrist as she did so. Then without warning and still holding his wrist, she ducked under his arm and threw her momentum forward. Leon didn't have time to react and before he knew it, Ada was behind him. He went for a strike with his free elbow but she blocked that and grabbed that arm as well. It was at that point that Leon knew it was over. A man is physically stronger than a woman by nature. But there are certain things that beat out strength every time. The most important of these factors are speed and technique. And Ada had both of these. Before he knew it she had both his arms in a full nelson. She wrenched his arms back and drove her feet into the back of his knees, crippling him instantly.

Leon fell to the ground with a thud as Ada's entire weight pressed down on him. She had a knee in his spine, almost below his scapulas. The force drove his face against the ground and he breathed heavily to fight back. It was perfect. With so much weight strategically placed on his upper body, Leon knew he wasn't going anywhere.

"_Kennedy, how do you keep letting this woman get the better of you?" _he thought as a stabbing pain shot through his back.

Ada was obviously enjoying the control she had over him. He felt her lean in close, right next to his ear. She was calm, but her voice oozed a tone. It was something that he hadn't heard in a long time. Gloating. The woman was rubbing her victory in his face. And it was making him a little agitated, to say the least.

"What's wrong? Can't move your arms?" she asked, tugging at the full nelson she had him in.

Leon grunted, "Obviously not. Or else I'd be strangling you with them"

Ada leaned in close. "Mmm…sounds kinky" she whispered in his ear, seductively.

He couldn't be sure, but he almost thought she lightly nipped at the top of his ear with her teeth. Leon felt himself flush red and attempted to regain his composure.

"You didn't think so back in Spain" he said, trying to remain cool and collected.

"That was different. Now that you're "you" you'll know how to play nice", she purred. "Looks like I win"

Then a crazy idea slammed into Leon's head. Given his situation, he knew it was impossible. But at this rate, it wouldn't hurt to try.

"You'd like that. Wouldn't you?" he asked.

Before Ada could ask what he was talking about, Leon tapped into a reserve of strength and pulled his arms closer into himself. Ada struggled to regain her hold on him but it was no use. In the blink of an eye Leon had forced his legs to go into overdrive. He grunted as he fought to his feet with what could only be described as inhuman strength and endurance. Ada was at a loss for words as he lifted their combined weight up. When he made it to his feet he pushed off with his legs and back flipped over her head, wrenching himself out of her hold. Before Ada knew it, Leon had landed behind her, one hand holding her left arm to her side and the other crossing over her throat. Then all he had to do was fall backwards onto the floor, taking her with him.

They hit the ground with a "wumph" and Leon wrapped his legs around her small waist, pinning her other arm so she couldn't elbow him in the ribs. Instantly Ada started to kick her legs in desperation as he tightened his hold on her. He was close enough that he could hear her hiss for air, felt her heart beating through her back and felt her skin, slick with sweat. Her hair pressed into his face and he prayed to God that she didn't rear back and butt him in the nose. Given the position she was in, it didn't seem like she was going anywhere.

"Say it" he said as he held her.

"Okay! Okay!" she managed to get out. "Uncle!"

He let go and she rolled off of his torso. There were both so drained that all they could do was just lay on the floor and pant, getting as much air into their systems as they could. Leon was astounded that a stunt that insane had actually paid off and hadn't resulted in a broken neck. He glanced over at Ada who was sucking in as much air as she could. Her chest rose and fell in quick succession. She didn't seem to be in any pain but still, Leon silently hoped that he hadn't hurt her too badly.

And then something happened that he didn't expect. Ada began to laugh. He had never heard her do that. For Leon, it was a welcome change. Her laughter brought him to fits and soon they were both chuckling it up almost to the point of tears.

"That was something else", she said, staring at the ceiling, "Who taught you that?"

"No one", he replied. "There are other things besides cooking that I picked up the last six years"

"Well, guess you win. That means I have to do something for you" she said, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Naw" he waved her off. "I'll give you a free pass this time. What are you in the mood for?"

"Mmm…something Italian" she replied as she pushed her self up to her feet.

"I can do Italian" he said.

Ada smiled at him as she sauntered out of the room to clean herself up, leaving him laying on the floor to finish catching his breath. When he was sure that she was out of ear shot he thought out loud to himself.

"How the hell did I do that?"

**Author's note: Yeah, I know SAW II was released in 2005 and Resident Evil 4 takes place in the later part of 04. Thus there is a huge continuity issue. So sue me.**


	7. Stay Together for the Kids

**Author's note: I'm not going to change this story's entire rating based on this chapter. What I am going to do is provide a warning (for once). There is course language near the end so please be advised. Rated M.**

**III**

There were many things that Leon took pride in. And his cooking was one of them. Complete focus was put towards the sausage that sizzled on the stove as well as the mix of fettuccini noodles, diced green beans, and chunks of blood red tomato that were heating in a pan off to the side. The concoction was perfect. An excellent mix of vegetables, carbs and protein.

"_Just what every growing boy needs_" he thought with a stir of a spatula, kicking up a little grease from the pan.

He couldn't allow himself to be too distracted from it. One wrong move or off timing and he'd be choking down burnt food. And who really had time in the world for that? The mix of scents drifted up to his nose, making his eyes water slightly. Even though he had a fume hood billowing overhead, the heat from the stove still crisped his skin a tad. It forced a few beads of sweat to form on Leon's forehead. He was too preoccupied with the food to even take notice of something so insignificant. How long had it been since he'd indulged himself in something so pleasurable as cooking. Something that most people take for granted? How long since he'd enjoyed the simpler things in life?

The way the food cooked, the smell, sound and shear aura of it all, almost made Leon drift away into another world. Cooking was not just a hobby for the man. Next to exercising, it was another stress reliever. A way to forget all the crap in the world and take some time for himself. Except this time it wasn't just for himself. This time it was diner for two.

Leon had been dabbling in the culinary arts long enough to know when things were just about right. And by the way the pasta and meat looked, smelt and reacted when he prodded it, it was cooked to perfection. Leon inhaled deeply, his chest expanding, taking in as much of the smell as he could. He exhaled slowly, a sense of satisfaction passed through his mind.

"And that's how we do it" he said to himself as he brushed his strawberry blonde hair out of his face and turned off the burners.

Leon scooped up the two ceramic plates that were sitting on the counter tops and dished out equal portions of pasta and sausage onto each plate. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost 7:00. He shot a look towards the guest bedroom. There was no way that it could have taken Ada that long to shower and get herself together for a meal. Then again, Leon was forgetting one crucial thing.

"_She's a woman. It takes her longer than twenty minutes to do everything she needs to get done" _he thought with a small shake of his head.

He set the plates down on the table, grabbed his remote and turned the entertainment system on. Leon fiddled with the buttons for a few seconds before landing on a jazz station. He just hoped that everything would be to her liking. It wasn't like he went around cooking for everyone in the entire apartment complex. That's when he heard the door open.

Leon looked up to see Ada saunter out of the guest room. He chuckled inwardly to himself. She still managed to surprise him after all this time. No matter which way he sliced it, the woman was stunning. Tall, an excellent and seductive figure, delicate and flowing arms and wonderful almond shaped eyes that wouldn't quit. Her hair was pinned back, taking her bangs out of her face. But she still managed to give it the same, black silky quality that it always had. Not that she needed it, but there was some eyeliner and lipstick applied to her, brining out her facial features even more. She was something else. No wonder it had taken her so long to come out of hiding. Ada had been making herself up. It was something that he would have expected for a night on the town. Instead he was being treated to it in his loft.

What stood out for him was what she was wearing. Long black stockings shadowed her equally long legs. Those ended when they met the deep, scarlet miniskirt and sleeveless top. The skirt did wonders to bring out the full form of her hips, making Leon raise an eyebrow as he checked her out. A slight turn of her body was all it took for him to discern that the skin of her back was completely exposed, meaning that it was more of a cocktail dress top. Then again, the whole ensemble could be one piece. Leon was so focused on her that he almost didn't hear her speak.

"Sorry to keep you waiting" she said, coming closer to the table. "I needed some time to do my nails"

Ada noticed that he was still staring at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked with a sly smile. "You look like you've seen a ghost"

Leon snapped out of his trance. How the hell did she do that? It wasn't like him to zone off in such a way. But he had to admit that she had a way of doing that to him. And she did it exceptionally well.

"I….that dress" he started. "That's not the same one from…?"

Ada looked herself over, swaying back and forth in a show-offy manner.

"Brings back memories doesn't it?" she asked. "But no, it's not the same one. Just something I'd thought you'd appreciate. For old times sake. If you catch my drift"

She glanced back at the hallway that she had come from then looked back at Leon.

"If you want, you can put on that old uniform. It might make you more comfortable"

She was referring to his old R.P.D. uniform that he kept far back in the bottom of his closet. Even though six years had past, Leon still held onto the garment. It was a constant remind of what he had been through, where he started out, what he had achieved. And what he had lost.

Shaking off the thoughts he said with a smirk "Yeah, somehow I don't think a tactical police uniform screams "evening wear" ", He said, making air quotes with his fingers.

"Suit yourself" she said, glancing at the meal he had laid out for the two of them.

She delicately let the smell travel to her nose and inhaled. Ada closed her eyes as a look of ecstasy danced across her face.

"You're just full of surprises aren't you?" she asked. It was more of a declarative statement. "It smells wonderful"

"You should try tasting it before you make a final judgment" he said, moving around to the other seat and pulling a chair out for her.

"_Ever the gentleman_" she thought as she sat down and he pushed her in. "What are you treating me to?" she inquired.

"Italian sausage with fettichini, diced green beans and tomatoes". He said, motioning to the steaming plates on the table. "One of mom's old recipes"

"Compliments to the chef then" she smiled as they both dug in.

**III**

They talked for sometime, interwoven between their feasting. Despite everything they had been through, Leon found it incredibly easy to speak to her about matters that didn't involve viruses, monsters or backstabbing. They talked of film and music. Cars and the seasons. Trivial things such as that. He did his best to keep her entertained. Ada even laughed a few times at his lame jokes. But as the night wore on, their conversation turned back towards more pressing matters. Matters that concerned their individual pasts, and what happened when those topics spilled over into the present.

Leon remained silent for a few moments, losing his appetite and poking at his food, as apposed to eating it.

Looking down at his plate he asked "So, level with me here. There was never a "John" was there?"

Ada had mentioned that she had been looking for a boyfriend back during Raccoon. But she had learned from Birkin's bitch of a wife that the man had died at the hands of the city's monsters. He was most likely wandering the streets or laboratory halls as one of the undead at that time. Not that she had cared.

Ada took a small sip of wine that Leon had provided and said, "Yes, there was a John. But he wasn't my boyfriend. He was more of my ticket into Umbrella's secrets. It was a one night stand more than anything"

"And you didn't learn to shoot by playing paintball did you?"

"I've had training" she said, setting her glass back down on the table.

The silence descended on them once more. Leon knew he had to get some concerns out in the open or else he'd be treading the same water with her over and over. He absent mindedly poked at his food and Ada noticed this.

"What's wrong? You can't be full"

Leon looked at her and sighed, knowing that he was only delaying the inevitable.

"Ada, I want to know why you were working with Wesker. If you're going to stay here, you need to be strait with me. Keeping secrets here, now, is going to get us both killed."

She cocked her head to the side slightly, studying him. Or sizing him up. All he did was wait patiently for an answer. Ada closed her eyes, opened them and then opened her mouth.

"Alright. Technically I wasn't working for Wesker. We were both working for my employers before he jumped ship to pursue his own agenda" she told him. "This is what he does. He uses one group long enough to get what he wants before fucking them over and moving onto the next group. Pretty soon, he'll be the king at the top of the hill"

Leon sat back in his chair with his arms crossed over his body. Ada saw this as her cue to continue.

"It was only a matter of time before I made my move"

"Made your move? What does that have to do with working for Wesker" Leon asked, slightly agitated.

"I worked with Wesker to get closer to my own objectives. I only did what I had to do to move closer _to_ that objective. If there'd been any other way I'd have done it. But Wesker had resources and I needed them" she answered, pushing her plate aside like she was pushing a barrier back.

He knew just by looking at her that it was all the info on that subject he'd be able to sqeeze out of her. Her own objective. Just what the hell kind of objective did _she_ have? Leon decided he'd push her for the info later. Right now, he was getting a steady stream of answers that could lead to some future changes in the little war he had found himself thrown into. There were a lot of crazies in the world, and Wesker was by far the craziest.

"Who's he working for now?", Leon asked.

Without hesitation Ada said, "The pharmaceutical company S. You've no doubt heard of them"

Leon nodded.

"That's a moot issue" she went on. "It's only a matter of time before he's the one pulling the strings of his own show. And at this rate, it seems like it won't be long before that happens"

A brief flash entered Leon's mind. He was back in Spain as he and Krauser squared off. Between the knife and gun fighting, Krauser had let loose a very important bit of knowledge.

_"To bring order and balance to this insane world of ours" _he had said. "_You don't seriously think a conservative mind can chart a new world course do you?"_

Leon looked off to the side, reminiscing "Yeah, Krauser did mention that everything he was doing was for Umbrella's sake. That's Wesker's game isn't it?"

"Yes. To Wesker, Umbrella meant power. I think he'll do anything to get back into that position. He's already well on his way" a solemn look fell across her face.

Leon didn't miss a beat. "Ada, where is the plagas sample? I need to know. I need to know that it isn't in the wrong hands"

"Calm down" she said, raising her palms to him. "It's in a safe deposit box. I stashed it for the time being to throw off Wesker. I knew my life was in danger so it was the only logical thing to do. Once the heat dies down I'll be able to transport it to my superiors. That's what I intend to do with it. What they do with the sample after that is of no real concern to me. As long as it gets me into their good graces"

"_Well, that's certainly reassuring" _he thought sarcastically.

"So why did you come to me?"

She smiled. Not playfully or seductively. The smile that she gave him was sweet. It was warm. Caring almost.

"I trust you. No matter what, I know that you're the one person I can count on. After everything we've been through I was hoping that you'd help me out, that you'd be willing to trust me. You are willing to trust me? Aren't you Leon? Hmmm…?"

That was enough. All the good feelings from earlier in the afternoon had been obliterated. Nothing about their current state of affairs could have been more off. She had abused his trust countless times, and now she expected to be reciprocated in the manner. Leon was generally good at keeping his cool. But that statement sent him fuming. He wasn't proud of what he did. But he had a lot to get off his chest. A lot to say in order to make Ada understand the intensity of how he felt about the situation that she had placed him into. And with that, he blew up.

Pushing back from the table and standing up, Leon slammed his hands down on the table, causing glass ware and dishes to rattle in unison. Ada was stunned as she stared back at him in wide eyed surprise. She hadn't seen him this upset since that time in Raccoon when they had rejoined after being separated. Actually he was pretty cool that time. Now he was something else. Frightening. Her heart caught in her chest as he spoke in an angry tone to her.

He pointed an accusing finger towards her "Trust you?! I don't even know anything about you! How the hell do you expect me to trust you after everything you've done to me?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, hurt and confused at the same time.

"You've held me at gunpoint three times" he said, holding up the pinky, ring and middle finger on his right hand for effect. "You lied to me. You blew up a goddamn island with me still on it"

"I gave you enough time to escape" she defended herself, standing up.

"That's beside the point" he said, quickly rasing his hand in anger. "You've threatened to kill me Ada" he said, pointing at himself.

"But I…" she stammered, trying to defend her actions.

"YOU PUT A FUCKING GUN TO MY HEAD!" he screamed at her, making a gun with his hand and pointing it to his temple.

There was silence for a few moments as Ada stood there in shock. She looked like she'd been slapped across the face. It was uncomfortably quiet. A silence that under any other circumstance would have been welcome to their chaotic lives. But this wasn't what she had wanted. Leon backed away from the table, creating distance between the two of them. He turned his back to her and leaned on the kitchen counter, trying to find the right words to speak next. When he was ready, he faced her again.

"I don't get it. You save my life and then threaten to kill me. Back and forth, back and forth" he said, moving his arms to and fro. "When is it gonna end Ada? When are we going to get through all this cloak and dagger, backstabbing, spy bullcrap? Is it going to end with me alive and well, or lying on the ground in a pool of my own blood?"

"Leon….I….don't…." she tried to say.

"Has someone been pulling you strings? Telling you to do one thing and then you go and do the opposite? Is that the only thing keeping me alive?" he said, shrugging his arms.

"Leon" there was a pause as she thought about what to say next. "You weren't supposed to be part of my mission in Spain. You were an unforeseen setback. Wesker….ordered me to kill you so you would be out of his hair. He told me to do it multiple times but I never did. I…I couldn't"

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" he asked, in wide eyed astonishment. "Well, it's great to see my life can still be of some fucking use to you"

Now it was her turn to get angry.

"Why are you acting like this? One minute your Suzy homemaker. The next, you're biting my goddamn head off. What are you? Bi-polar?" she said, stalking towards him before stopping several feet and turning her back to him. "No, that's too good of an excuse. There's something more to it than you not trusting me. Something's wrong with you isn't there?" she turned to face him, balling her fists. "Why were you screaming last night?"

"What?" he asked, taken off guard.

"Oh don't play dumb with me Leon" she said, rolling her eyes. "I could hear you. You know, if you're going to sound proof a room, you should really take the door into account as well"

She had seen right through him, easily. Leon didn't speak immediately. And that was exactly how long Ada had wanted a response. She knew she had hit a nerve with him, and now she was going to dig deeper.

"Answer me!" she yelled.

He didn't flinch.

"Not that it's any of your business but I have nightmares about Raccoon" Leon answered.

"Raccoon?! Raccoon?! Is that what this is all about? I get _this_ attitude because you're having nightmares about the fucking zombies?" she waved her hand to the window, signifying their past. "Well you know what Leon, I'm sorry, I really am. But it's been six goddamn years. _Six years_. You've got to put that all behind you now. I learned how to"

"Well I'm not you. Am I?" he pointed at her.

"That's right, you're not me. Just because you don't have a pussy doesn't give you the right to act like one!"

"Jesus fucking Chirst. How do you sleep at night woman?" he said, bringing a hand to his face, covering his eyes.

"Lots and lots of valium. You should try it sometime. You look like you haven't slept in a long, _long_ time"

"I haven't. And that's the truth" he almost snarled at her.

"Why?"

"Because"

It was a weak defense.

"Because why? This isn't first grade shit anymore Leon. Just come out and say it"

"Because…because…"

"WHAT?" she yelled to get him to focus.

Instead of getting him to focus, her anger broke through him and made him spill his guts to her. Feelings and emotions that he had been keeping bottled up for so long came tumbling out of his mouth like a land slide. Once he started, Leon found it impossible to stop.

"Because of you. I have nightmares about you. Alright! Every night, for the past six years, _six years_", he stressed, "I've woken up in the middle of the night, in a cold sweat and screamed for you. It's not about the zombies or the monsters or any of that shit. It's…about you. I see you every night, in my arms and you…you…fall. I try to save you but I can't. I just fucking can't. Ada, I've seen you die in my dreams, every single night for the past six years. Do you have any idea what that's done to me? DO YOU?!"

"Leon…" she softened. Ada mentally kicked herself for being so insensitive. She wished that there was a hole she could crawl into and hope the pain went away for both of them. But no such hole existed. She was in the here and now. And she would have to pay for it.

"And you know what the worst part about all of it is?" he continued with a rhetorical question. "Not only does this eat a hole through me. But to find out that you were out there somewhere, alive" he pointed to the door. "You don't even know how that made me feel. How it _makes_ me feel. I don't know if you've ever felt it. It's that feeling that you get when you know someone you care about, someone you'd take a bullet for or even _die for_, is out there in the world and you'll never know if you'll ever, _ever, _see them again"

Ada was trying desperately to keep her emotions in check. But she was failing miserably. She had always been so good at staying focused and on task, not letting her feelings get in the way of what had to be done. But now, these words were hurting worse than any wound she could have sustained. They gave her an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach. They made her lips quiver with sorrow.

"You know what that feeling is?" he asked. "It's emptiness. It's a pit in your stomach or a hole in your heart and you're wishing to hell that it would either go away or something would fill it"

He looked at her, hard, knowing that his words had made an impression on her. But Leon wasn't finished.

"So that other shit, working for the bad-guys, back stabbing me, all that. Yeah, that hurts. But never knowing if I'm going to see you again, after everything we've been through even though it was only two nights, hurts even more. It was so bad I had to be put on anti-depressants for a year"

Ada didn't say anything for a long time. She just stood there, fighting back tears. Leon's words cut deep. She stared at the floor, balling her fists, so that he wouldn't see the tears coming down her face. She didn't know if she should kiss him or kill him right now. Ada was so angry but so sad and heartbroken at the same time. She never knew that this beautiful man, a man that had never done anything but put his life before hers, was hurting so much.

"You'd….die…for me?" She struggled to find the right words for her next sentence. "Leon I didn't….I…I'm…"

She didn't know if she could say it or not. Would it make everything better? Make all the pain and sadness go away?

"I lo…"

He cut her off, not even hearing her last words. "Forget it. You know, I thought we could move past all that. Start fresh. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was out of my goddamn head. But you know what? That's fine. Whatever's good for you is good for me. Just drop in any time you want and completely fuck up my life"

Leon went to the closet near the front door, grabbing his keys along the way, and snatched up his shoes and baseball bat. Then he reached for the door, opened it and left, slamming it closed. The sound shook the apartment for a few seconds before everything returned to complete silence.

After the door closed, Ada broke down and dropped to her knees, crying. She cried because she had never really understood until now, how much and how deeply she had hurt the man she loved.

**III**

Clang!

The ball went sailing over the pitching machine and into the wire mesh on the other side of the cage. Leon swung the bat back around his shoulders, ready for the next one.

The batting cages were empty except for the one he was in. It was only a matter of time before the place closed for the night. But he didn't care. He needed to let off some steam in the worst possible way. The next ball came, faster than he expected. But he met it head on with the bat. The two objects connected, sending a shockwave through his arms. It felt good.

"Think she can just walk into my life, toy with me and mess with my head" he said to himself as he fired the baseballs back the direction they had come.

He was pissed. He was hurt. Leon just hoped that being away from it all, here and hurting something would make it all better. All it was doing was making him feel worse. And it wasn't about what Ada had done to him. But it was how he had treated her. He knew he was well within his right to be angry, but something nagged at him.

"_Two wrongs don't make a right son" _his father had told him.

He sighed and lowered the bat. Leon stooped down, picked up the half full beer that was sitting on the ground and took a swig, emptying it. He then set it back down next to its already empty partner. Leon loaded more quarters in the machine, feeling crummy about his current affairs with the woman in red.

"_That was a brilliant move Leon. Drive her away more why don't you? You stupid asshole. No wonder you can't hold onto women. All you ever do is fuck things up. For once in your life, can't you just take a chance?"_

Leon readied the bat and smashed the balls that shot at him. He had been going at it for sometime and knew how many baseballs the quarters would buy him. A few more and he'd have to fork over more cash. Leon kept batting and eventually he heard footsteps behind him. Taking a quick glance, he saw that the man who ran the batting cages was walking toward him.

For a man who ran an establishment based on exercise, he was grossly out of shape. He had the makings of every slacker or slob ever born. Obese, tight white wife beater stained with Lord only knows what, thinning hair and a waddle of a walk. He seemed somewhat put off as he walked up to Leon.

"Hey, buddy" the man said through the cage. "We're closing. You need to get outta here"

He noticed the beer on the ground.

"Now you really gotta leave. There's no booze allowed here"

"Just another ten minutes" Leon said, not even looking at the man.

"Ten minutes my ass" the guy said, going for the power cord. "I wanna go home and want you outta here now" he said, reaching for the power cord of the machine.

Leon took his attention away from the machine and turned to look at the man. He lowered the bat as he did so.

"Look, I've had a rough day and need to let off some heat. Just let me go for another ten minutes and I'll leave. But until then, piss off"

Pitching machines are in batting cages all across the world. The speeds at which the machines throw out the baseballs can differ and be anywhere from two miles per hour to almost two hundred. The machine that Leon was using was pitching the balls at ninety miles an hour. If a person is hit in the head with a ball going that speed the correct way it can kill them. And given the position he was in, Leon had a death wish. He wasn't paying attention and the machine was getting ready to fire its last ball in his direction.

The man looked at him and then at the machine. His eyes went wide as he saw that Leon had taken his mind off the pitching machine.

"Look….!" he started to yell.

But it was too late, in seconds the ball would strike Leon in the occipital region of his skull, killing him.

What happened next, Leon couldn't explain. He felt the ball coming at him and everything that followed was a reflex action. No, it was more of a sixth sense if anything. Something different, something that Leon couldn't describe. It was almost, unnatural. Like something a normal person shouldn't be able to accomplish. His arm acted fast, faster than it had ever moved. He and the man were still staring at each other as the baseball slammed into Leon's waiting palm. There was nothing. No pain, no sensation that anything was amiss. He didn't even wince.

The man stared in shock as Leon brought the ball forward and looked at it. There was no way, just no possible way that he had just caught an object traveling at him at 90 miles per hour. That was just insane. Yet, in some miraculous way, he had done it. Leon dropped the ball to the ground of the cage and quickly walked out of it.

"You're right" he said to the man. "Now's probably a good time to leave.

Leon walked away into the night, leaving the man dumbfounded at what he had just seen.

**III**

It was quiet as he entered the loft. Leon walked inside and noticed that the table was just as he had left it when he had stormed out. The dishes held cold food that had been left untouched. The sight tugged at his mind and made him feel even crappier for walking out on Ada. He took off his coat and tossed it on a chair before depositing his keys on the kitchen counter. The bat he held went back into the closet near the door before he moved through the darkened loft.

Ada was nowhere in sight. He moved towards the quest bedroom, wondering if she was still there. It took him all of five steps to reach the door before he stopped himself. Leon knew she was still in the loft. He could hear her breathing through the door as he deliberated with himself whether he should check on her or not. He decided against it, not willing to stir up anymore emotional turmoil than they already had for the night. Instead he felt it would be better to call it a evening and sleep on it all. The last thing they needed was to hurt each other anymore for the day.

It was hard for Leon to come to the decision. They say that love is a battlefield. And such a statement was never more apparent than when he was with Ada. He felt that by walking away from the problem that he was losing a battle. Part of him wanted to apologize while the other part wanted to yell and scream at her more. It was all so simple when things were in black and white. But things could never be like that ever again. Ada had made him see that things were far more complex than he could have ever imagined.

Leon wished that he could stop thinking about it. It made his head hurt and filled him with fatigue all at once. So going to bed and facing Ada in the morning was the only strategy he could come up with. But Leon found that sleep was damn near impossible for him to accomplish. Most of the time, he'd welcome sleep. Even though he knew it would invoke his nightmares.

He laid in his bed for some time, tossing and turning, unable to get any rest. It was hard to go to sleep when he was angry or upset. Leon's mind was swimming and it kept him up. He regretted much about the evening. Regretted the feelings and anger and other hostilities. If there were some way that he could make up for it, then maybe just maybe he could get a good nights sleep. The most he was able to do was put his head down on his pillow and close his eyes, hoping that if he rested them long enough he would trick himself into a slumber.

Sometime later, he thought he heard the door to his room open. Leon was too tired to really care about it and simply dismissed it as his mind playing tricks on him. But when he felt the covers of his bed being pulled back and a weight settle onto the mattress next to him, it made him realize that he wasn't hearing things.

"What?" he said, starting to sit up in bed.

"Shhh", he felt a single finger press against his lips, forcing him back onto the mattress as a voice softly sounded in the small room.

It was dark, but he didn't need to see in order to know that Ada had crawled into bed with him. She was so close that he could smell the fragrance of her hair, like honey and could feel the warmth of her body. That wasn't all he could feel. By the way that she was curling her legs and hips around him, it was apparent that she wasn't wearing any pajama bottoms. He couldn't be sure, but Leon could almost feel the cotton of her panties as she moved around.

"Ada" he said as she removed her finger from his lips. "What are you…..mrrphh"

Leon was completely unprepared for what she did next. Ada came in close, pressing her lips against his and sucking slightly. He had wanted this more than anything. Ever since their meeting six years ago, it was all he could think about. And now, he had it. Her mouth was warm and inviting. The flavor was like a mix of cherries and something else. No doubt the spices from the night's meal. Not that he minded at all. At this point, Leon was in bliss. He returned the kiss and they stayed that way for longer than he could fathom. She licked the inside of his lips before breaking off the kiss, allowing them to breath.

"Shhh" she said, tracing a trail of kisses down his chest.

Leon felt his heart race, unsure of what to do. It was more than he could have asked for. For so many nights he had dreamed of making her his own. And here she was, in his bed with him. Close. Together. Warm. But he wanted to make sure it was real. That it was pure.

"Ada, I…"

"It's okay" she said, stroking his face lightly. "It's time I apologized. And it's time you slept well"

Leon had no idea what she meant by that, but knew for a fact that he would find out very shortly. He felt her brush his hair out of his face several times as she laid down next to him and nuzzled close. Leon felt his pants tighten around his waist and could see her smile in the dark. He brought his arm toward her, pulling her closer and almost felt the way her pulse raced. Similar to the way his was racing. She moved her hand around his chest, caressing it and watching as her hand moved up and down as he breathed. Ada kissed his neck, moving closer back to his mouth before pulling the covers over the both of them.

There had been a lot of sleepless nights for Leon. The weeks or months following Raccoon had been particularly hard on him. But this was different, something new. Leon had never slept better in his entire life. And he had Ada to thank for that.

**Author's note: Yeah. Not really used to doing "love scenes". So I have no idea if this turns out right or is in character. I also have never done "smut". I wanted to make this tasteful. So I apologize if anyone was looking for something more R-rated.**

**And yes, I'm going by the Leon A/Claire B scenario from RE-2 for reference.**


	8. Something About Us

It was quiet. Peaceful. The first real peace that either of them had experienced in a long, long time. The only sounds came from their steady breathing. A noise that did nothing to shatter the perfect world which they had fashioned for themselves. Well, perhaps perfect was too presumptuous of a word. But in any case, it was the start of something wonderful.

Ada was the first to rise for the day. While not fully awake, she was aware of her surroundings and knew that the sun was coming up, seeing rays of light seep in from underneath the blinds. The day was upon them already. She glanced over at the bedside clock and saw that it was almost eight a.m. Without another thought, she placed her head back down on Leon's sleeping body, content with the idea that she wasn't bending to the will of the day. To hell with it. Right now, she was going to sleep in and she was going to do so with the man she loved. The time she had now was hers and no one else's. As was the man slumbering next to her. He belonged to her.

Even with the rising sun, the entire apartment was as cold as ice in the early Autumn morning. But that was not of immediate concern to either of them. For the moment, they had all the warmth they needed between the two of them. Well, they would have had more if they had kept their clothes on. The mess of shirts and underwear and other such garments lay in piles on either side of the bed. Leon and Ada's naked bodies pressed against each other and helped transfer body heat into each other, warming them and keeping them quite comfortable and close. She wrapped her legs in between his, unwilling to separate from him.

Ada wondered to herself why she never indulged in something so beautiful and right as sharing herself with Leon. Sharing her body, her love, and what appeared to be a form of tenderness that she didn't even know existed. And what was more was that it was being reciprocated. The love was being honestly and truly returned to her tenfold. It was more than she could have hoped for.

Still half asleep, Ada decided that even though it was rock hard and moving, Leon's chest was by far, the best pillow she could have rested her head against. The rising and falling action was rhythmic and soothing. And his heartbeat was almost like a lullaby. A lullaby that let her know that he was alive and was singing only for her. She smiled to herself as she used one hand to brush the hair out of her eyes. When the obstruction was gone she nuzzled closer to him, burying her face into his neck. He must have been at least a little bit awake, because she felt his facial muscles pull into a smile as he gave out an agreeable little groan. The throaty sound reverberated through is chest and into her ear, making Ada wrap her arm around him to pull herself tighter to his body.

Leon and Ada had both wanted this for so long. Wanted _each_ _other_ but were too afraid to reach out. It was funny. There had been so much keeping them apart. But now, there was nothing. All the barriers had been torn down. Peace had been made. They were on the same side. And it felt so good. The love that had always been there between the two of them was in full bloom. She wished that the moment she had found herself in would never end. It was almost too good to be true. That's when she felt a little tug in her pelvic muscles.

"_Shit", _she thought.

Here she was, experiencing this perfect moment with this perfect man. And her bodily functions had to go and ruin it all. And thus Ada was torn. Torn between staying warm and safe with the man she cared so much about. Or being subject to horrible bladder pain.

It was no use. She had to get out of the bed. All she had to do was accomplish it without waking Leon up. Not exactly the easiest of feats. She looked down at him and saw the sense of peace painted on his face. A serenity that she did not wish to disturb. She would have to be careful. Ada started to push up on the bed, but the second she did so, Leon gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked in a dazed, playful tone.

She looked down and saw that tired, but gentle eyes stared back at her. The look made her melt back into his arms, her body relaxing. Ada wanted to humor him. She wanted to be by him. To stay where she was as long as possible. But that just wasn't possible. And besides, she was only human.

"I just need to use the bathroom" she answered, putting her head down on his chest and letting him stroke her hair. "Unless you want me to wet the bed"

There was no answer from him and Ada was at first confused, and then concerned. She pushed up from the bed and looked down at him. Ada knew that Leon wasn't scared of anything. But if that were true, then why did he have such an anxious look on his face? It took her all of three seconds to figure it out.

"Hey" she said, grabbing his hand and pulling it up. "You see this?" she asked, intertwining her fingers with his, making sure he could see it. "I'm holding on. And I'm never letting go. Never again. Okay?"

"Promise?" Leon asked, touching her cheek with the back of his hand.

Ada brought her hand up to grasp Leon's. Then she leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. His heart fluttered in his chest and it was all he needed in order to know that she wasn't going to leave him. She smiled and wrapped a sheet around her naked form making sure that it covered herself fully before getting off the bed. As she left, the sheet pulled away from the mattress, leaving Leon slightly exposed. He shivered for a few seconds before pulling the comforter around his body and watching Ada slink off to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. As it slowly shut, Leon saw her look out at him, like a predator. The thought made his mind race slightly. But there were other thoughts taking precedence at the moment.

Even in her undressed state, Leon had to admit that the cloth wrapped around her body gave her the appearance of a goddess. He just wished that it was light enough to see her. Being in a dark room didn't really afford you an opportunity to get a good look at your lover's body. But then again. He didn't need to see her to know that she was there.

**III**

Leon glanced over at his nightstand and saw that his phone was glowing. He picked it up and saw that the small screen read "1 new voicemail". He flipped open the phone and pressed the button for the message before putting the phone to his ear and listening.

_"Leon, It's Claire. Just heard on the news that the Presidents daughter was returned home. I guess that mean's you're home as well. I haven't talked to you in a few weeks. So give me a call and let me know how you're doing"_

The sound of running water made him turn his attention to the closed bathroom door.

"_That sneak_" he thought. "_She beat me to the shower_"

He wondered if he should go in and join her before quickly dismissing the thought. While not a bad idea, Leon had to play his cards right with this woman. There would be time for more fun and games. All it would take from him was a little patience. He closed the phone and sighed before opening it again and scrolling down the list of names in his address book.

Claire was first on his list of contacts. Ever since Umbrella folded, she had been urged by her brother to drop the underground spy stuff and return to collage. That had been a few years back and she had graduated with high honors. That was, of course, after changing her major and pursuing a career with the F.B.I.

"_Pursue isn't exactly the best choice of words_" he recalled.

She had more or less been pressured into it by people in the government. Leon had to hand it to the powers that be. When they saw someone who had the right "stuff", they recruited them in a heartbeat. And Claire had the right stuff, and then some. Not to mention she excelled at what she did.

They had both gone through the same nightmare in Raccoon and he knew better than anyone that she could handle herself. It was perhaps this trait and the survival skills she possessed that won her favor with the government. But it was no surprise that Chris wasn't happy about his little sister being wrapped up in something that he never intended her to be involved in. Acting as a surrogate father more than a brother, Chris had a habit of acting that way. But he had relented once he realized that Claire could take care of herself and could hold her own. She was living about a two hour drive away from Leon, so they would often catch up and grab a coffee when not working.

There were times when he worried about her. After the incident at Rockfort Island, she hadn't seemed the same. She seemed a little distant, and moodier than usual. Leon wasn't one to pride, but he had asked Chris once and the man had told Leon about Claire's friend Steve who had perished during the incident. Another casualty at the hands of Umbrella.

"_Or maybe not_" he thought.

Chris had also told him about Wesker's remark. That the young man could be resurrected from the dead. Whether or not this was the truth was a point that was up in the air. But Leon's heart had hurt for her lose nonetheless. And Claire, well, she had promised him that if she ever got the chance, she'd feed Wesker's beating heart to him. Not a bad idea after all the shit he'd done. But Leon was concerned if she could actually pull it off.

He scrolled down the list to the next two names. Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield were working together in a C.I.A. field office the next state over. The two of them had been responsible for the final nail in Umbrella's coffin. A few years back, they had led a special forces team into Russia and taken out one of Umbrella's last strong holds. After that, the two of them had each gotten the positions they held now.

Not only did they both work out of the same field office but they were both living in the same apartment. They had gotten pretty close since then. Leon smiled. He didn't need to be a genius to know that with everything those two had been through, wedding bells weren't far off. It was only a matter of time before he got an invitation.

Barry Burton had but his family first and moved to Canada, where he had gotten a job as a weapons advisor for the army there. Leon didn't blame the man. After everything that had happened, the man needed to get his priorities in order and take care of what really mattered to him. From what Leon could tell, Barry was as trustworthy as they came. A big, strong, kind, bear of a man, Barry was the type of person you were glad to have on your side. He stayed in contact with Leon, as well as Chris and the other ex-S.T.A.R.S. members.

Though young, Rebecca Chambers had proven herself and finally gotten the position that she'd always wanted. She was currently working in an F.B.I. field office and was the chief chemist there. Rebecca had a whole facility and staff at her disposal and was showing remarkable progress with the position. It just threw a lot of people off to see such a young woman as this great prodigy. But Leon knew better. He had been around her enough to see her excel at what she did.

There were also people he didn't know enough about. Leon had only met Carlos Oliveira a few times. He initially didn't trust the man, who had been on Umbrella's payroll. But it didn't take long for that trust to set in. Umbrella had screwed him over and left him for dead in the city along with several platoons of his comrades. If that alone wasn't enough for Leon to understand that the man was fighting the good fight now, Jill's vouching for him had also helped Carlo's considerably. Rather return to work as a mercenary, Carlos had been granted U.S. citizenship and had been accepted into the U.S. Green Berets. He had also written a book about his ordeals. Lucky him, it was still on the best sellers list. Leon even owned a copy.

Aside from his pals Ark and Kevin Ryman, Ingrid, his superiors and a host of other people, Leon was particularly concerned about a certain name in his address book. Last time he'd heard, US STRATCOM agent Bruce McGivven had gone AWOL or something. He had also heard several sources say that he'd run off with a female Chinese agent after the _Morpheus Duvall situation_. But Leon wasn't worried. They were all good people. If anything, Bruce probably had an excellent reason for his actions. Either that, or he was incredibly stupid and love struck. Not that that was a bad thing, per se.

What would they all say if they knew he was sleeping with the one woman who had the most ties to the one man that they all fought against? Claire knew some things about Ada from their stay in Raccoon. But given her history with Wesker, she would not be too thrilled. Chris on the other hand might be a little less angry.

"On second thought, he hates Wesker more than his sister does"

Leon sighed to himself as a thought popped into his head. Well, at least Carlos would back him up. Being a ladies man himself, the ex-U.B.C.S. soldier would give him a slap on the back and treat him to a beer for landing a catch as fine as Ada.

**III**

The water stopped running after some time and Leon turned his head expectantly, waiting to see Ada waltz out of his bathroom. The door opened and a rush of steam billowed out of the opening. As it cleared, Leon watched as Ada walked out of the bathroom, still damp and pulling a white towel tight around her body. The garment was just long enough to cover her chest and stopped near the top of her thighs. She adjusted herself, making sure everything was in place, much to Leon's expectation. He watched as her hair clung to her face, making it look darker due to the water, and the top of her breasts pushed out over the top of the towel. It was at that point that he decided he loved the wet look on women.

She took a step back into the bathroom and scooped up the sheet that she had used, rolling it up into a ball and throwing it playfully at Leon. He caught it and moved it out of his way so as not to obstruct his few of her. Ada ran her hand through her hair, slicking it back. Then when she noticed that Leon was still looking at her, she put a hand on her hip, letting the other hang down her side.

"See anything you like?"

Leon eyes widened at the question. He felt something harden down south and tried his best to make sure she didn't notice. It was all that was needed to get a chuckle out of her. Ada raised a hand to her mouth to stifle a smile. She crossed the distance to the bed and scooped up her clothes.

"I thought you were just going to use the bathroom?"

"I did. The shower's part of the bathroom isn't it?"

"Clever" he said as she sat down on the bed next to him.

"How'd you sleep?" Ada asked, putting a hand on his chest and running it over his pecs.

Leon didn't answer immediately. He had to think about it for a few seconds.

"Great" he said. "First real sleep in, God, I don't even know how long"

Ada's expression softened, pleased that she did some good for him.

"No more nightmares?"

"None" he replied.

Ada sat up and got off the bed, making her way to the bedroom door.

"I'm glad" she said, opening the door. She was about to walk out of the room when she turned back to him. Leaning against the doorway she said, "By the way, you were great last night. Hopefully, we didn't wake the neighbors"

As she closed the door behind her, Leon closed his eyes and lets his thoughts wander to the beautiful woman who had just exited. After a few moments he got out of bed. Leon felt fantastic, better than he'd felt in a long time. He had Ada to thank for that as he and his way to the bathroom, hoping there was still some hot water left for his own shower.

After words, he went downstairs to find Ada dressed and helping herself to a bowel of cereal. Leon walked over to the refrigerator, opened it and fished out some fruit for himself and joined Ada on the couch of the living room. He proceeded to turn on the T.V. and watch the news with her. But it was more of a ruse than anything. His attention was still on her. They ate for awhile, smiling, laughing and generally doing what one would expect a couple to do. But the peace didn't last long. Eventually Ada reached for the remote and turned off the T.V.

Leon turned to her, wondering what was wrong. He saw her mood change almost instantly. Like she was dreading something and wouldn't come out and speak her mind. She turned away from him, looking strait ahead. Ada took a deep breath and let it out before turning back to Leon. He wasn't stupid. He knew that something was about to happen that he may not like. Ada put a hand on his and spoke.

"Was it true?"

"Was what true?" he asked.

"About everything you said last night. That you've been having nightmares for the past six years about me?"

"Yes, all of it. Every last word" he said, giving her a melancholy look.

Without taking her hand off of his, Ada looked to the floor, pondering what to say, not knowing how to form her next sentence. She wanted to make sure that what she had to say would come out correctly. That it wouldn't anger Leon. After a few more moments, she looked back up into Leon's eyes.

"I don't want to spoil what we have" she said. "But there's something you should know. I don't want to hurt you anymore, or lie, or backstab. I want to be strait with you"

"_Oh shit, here we go_" he thought, knowing that it was all too good to be true.

"Leon, I want to tell you everything." she said, before talking another deep breath and letting it out. She was scared. He could see that in an instant. Ada was scared that what she would say could drive them apart, but still she went on with it. Leon admired that about her. She had a courage that most women seemed to lack.

"I work for a group called the Agency" she began.

"_The Agency? That's original" _he thought as he listened to her speak.

"They're…similar to Umbrella but they have different intentions. The best intentions"

It wasn't exactly what he wanted to here out of her. But knowing her, he should have seen it coming. Leon had wanted answers and now he was receiving them, regardless of the effect that they may or may not have.

"Best intentions?" he asked, a little put off. "Some of the most horrific things in the history of the world have been done with the best intentions. What are these people going to do, raise an army of plagas and train them to do circus tricks? Give me a break"

"No" she said, shaking her head lightly, "they're going to use the sample and everything else they have to bring down Wesker and everyone else like him"

That statement made Leon cock an eyebrow at her in surprise.

"But they can't do it alone", she continued. "They need some help. Some leverage. They need the U.S. government's help"

"Why didn't they do this earlier? Ask for their help when it counted?" he asked with an inquisitive up turn of his palm.

"They could have, but they would have gotten arrested or shut down. They're experimenting with viral weaponry as well. Something that the people in D.C. wouldn't like very much"

"_That's the truth" _he thought as she went on with her story.

"Quantico, NSA, Vicap. If they took one look at what my people were doing, it would be all over. We would be shut down, scrubbed out. And then where would we be?" she looked at Leon, hoping for an answer. He had none.

"What they need is someone who can put in a good word for them. A liaison that can help join the two parties"

"Me" Leon said in subtle realization.

"Yes" she said, turning her head down slightly, like she was ashamed.

"So you didn't come to me for protection" he asked, a little hurt.

"I did" she said, giving his hand a squeeze in order to solidify her truth. "But I can't get we're I'm going without possibly running into a problem. Wesker doesn't know where I've hidden the sample. If he's watching me, he'll jump at the chance to get to me once I'm alone. But if I'm with you, "Mr. High profile saved the presidents daughter", there's less of a chance of anything happening"

She could tell that he was feeling uncomfortable. Leon didn't have to say anything for Ada to know that he was mulling over everything she was saying, trying to digest it bit by bit. She thought the best thing to do would be to create a little space between them. She got up from the couch and walked a slight distance away, near the T.V., so that they could look across from each other.

"See", she said crossing her arms, "the sample will help prove my loyalty to their cause. They need the plagas parasite. My people wanted something new that they could use against Wesker's efforts. I just had to get it to them before he has the opportunity to intercept me. And I can't let that happen." she finished with a dull shake of her head.

Ada looked strait at Leon, knowing he had a part to play in all of this.

"But I also need you to come with me in order to talk to my people. To help form a bridge. _Together_, my people and the U.S. government can take down anything that Wesker or anyone else starts"

Ada looked at Leon and saw him staring at her. She couldn't tell if he was angry or thinking. So she decided the best thing to do would be to give a follow up answer to her story.

"So yes, I need protection. Both for my life and for the sample"

Leon didn't waste any time. He wasn't angry, just concerned. Making sure all the bases were covered was the first thing he had to do before moving forward. He appreciated her honesty, but he still had to be careful.

"And what if it gets out of hand? You said they're just like Umbrella. Do you really want to go through Raccoon, or Pueblo, or Rockfort again? Because I sure as hell don't"

Ada leaned against the wall, tilting her head against the brick. "My people aren't careless like the morons that worked for Umbrella. We keep things from spilling out into the public. We're safe. Just"

"You could have told me this earlier, like in Spain. Why didn't you?" he asked, with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"You never asked. And besides, I had Wesker looking over my shoulder the entire time. I couldn't have him catch wind of what I was going to do"

There was an uncomfortable silence for some time. It lasted so long that Ada was worried he might blow up at her again.

"So what do you say? Are you in?"

Leon sighed and looked towards the windows of the living room, pondering. So this was the whole reason that she had come to him. It was funny. He wasn't angry at all. In fact, he was just concerned about so much. Concerned about their future together. Concerned that there was a whole organization ready to take Wesker on. Not just a few small pockets of fighters. And here he and Ada were, right in the middle of it all. She hadn't caught him off guard with her speech or betrayed his trust. If anything, she'd intensified it. How could he not say no?

"Hey, you want a chance to help change the world? To make it safe? This is your chance. _Our chance_. I need you on this Leon"

He stood and walked over to her, putting both hands on her shoulders.

"Just a talk?"

"Just a talk" she nodded, reaching up to touch his hands.

Leon looked at Ada long and hard. Was he really going to get wrapped up in something with her again? But this was different. If what Ada was saying was true, then they had the chance to turn the tide of this little war in their favor. Together, the two of them could accomplish something that had never been done before. She had been strait forward with him, trusted him with knowledge that she hadn't revealed to anyone else. She loved him. And he loved her. That was more than enough for Leon to trust her.

"Okay. But on one condition" he said, holding up an index finger. "I catch wind of something that I don't like and I walk out the door. No questions asked"

"Trust me" she said, peering into his eyes. "That won't be a problem"

**III**

Ada looked away from Leon, relieved that their talk had gone so well. That's when she noticed a medication bottle sitting on a counter. Something that she hadn't noticed until now.

"What are these?" she asked, picking up the bottle.

Before she was able to read the label, Leon glanced over and opened his mouth to answer.

"Antibiotics. I'm supposed to be taking them to make sure my stitches don't get infected again. Only problem is, I haven't checked on them since I got out of the hospital"

"You know," she said, placing the meds down, "I hear that making love helps build the immune system" she said, setting the pills down.

"Really? Is that an invitation?" he asked, a slight hint of humor in his voice.

"Now, now. Let's not be greedy" she teased.

She looked around his apartment and frowned

"Well, you won't be able to see much unless you let some light in here" she said, walking towards the windows. "I don't see what you have against sunlight. This place would look so much better with natural lighting"

Leon was just about to say he didn't have a problem with sunlight when Ada tore open the blinds of the living room. Humans are diurnal by nature, capable of handling the sun's photon rays. This makes them ideal for traveling and being active during the daylight hours. But even people have limits to the amount of light that their eyes can handle. And as odd and impossible as it seemed, Leon had reached his point immediately.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed, falling to the floor and covering his eyes.

He had been maced before. He had been punched in the eye before. And he had even had monsters vomit toxic gas at him before. But this was different. It was something new. And it was horrendously painful. It was unreal. The sensation felt like thousands of needles were being driven through his eyeballs, into his skull and twisted. Leon thrashed on the ground as he tried to drive out the pain by driving his palms into his eyes to dull the pain. Somewhere, he felt Ada's presence trying to get through to him in order to assess what was happening.

He felt her down by his side, trying to pry his arms away from his eyes.

"What!?" she asked "What is it?!"

"The light!" he managed to choke out. "It hurts!"

He felt her leave his side. Then a few seconds later, the intensity wore off and the fire died down. Leon thought he heard her close the blinds, and that must have been why the pain subsided. After a few moments or laying on the ground in pain, Ada came right back to him and knelt down beside him, touching his hands.

"Move your hands, move your hands!" she said once and then again when he didn't obey immediately. "I'm not a doctor, but this should help. It's just some water"

Hesitantly, Leon moved his hands away from his face and felt something cool and wet press against his eyes. He realized that Ada was trying to help ease the pain with a damp wash cloth. Soon, the pain went away and she was still touching his eyes.

"Better?" she asked.

"Yeah" he said, breathing heavily and trying to regain his composure

"I want you to open your eyes slowly. I'm going to help you. Can you do that for me?"

Leon nodded and felt her fingers touch his eyelids lightly. Leon let his eyes flutter open after a few seconds and stared into the dull light of the darkened loft. His vision was blurry but he could tell Ada was staring down at him, inspecting his eyes.

"Okay, I'm going to use a small penlight here. Try to follow it"

Leon did as he was told and opened his eyes, squinting at first and then focusing on the light Ada held. A look of surprise and astonishment flew across her face, mixed with a slight hint of fear.

"Oh my….God" she breathed, dropping the light.

"What?"

"Your eyes. The pupils are extremely dilated"

"What? What does that mean?"

"I…I don't know" she said, "I'm not an optometrist. But turn over and I'll look at your back"

Leon removed his shirt and lay in a prone position on the floor. After a few moments of Ada inspecting him, she opened her mouth to speak.

"I don't see any stitches"

"What?" he asked, tilting his head back to her.

"There aren't any stitches. None"

**Author's note: Sorry for the wait. I've been busy studying, working and tired. But here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it. And I **_**referenced**_** a story by another author. If you're familiar with **_**pia z's**_** work, you'll spot it no problem.**


	9. I'm So Sick

**Author's note: Sorry for the delay. I've been busy with collage and work etc…I'm really burned out. God, I need sleep. No rest for the wicked I suppose. Hope you enjoy this chapter, you've all waited long enough for it. Thanks to **_**Itako no Nardi, Nigh, CorinneQ, Mircale Viguy 38, Cruck and **__**marna4eve**_** as well as anyone else who I've forgotten or who continue to add reviews. Your input means a lot to me. I love the feed back. Feel free to get in depth with the reviews if you like. I'm up for anything.**

**III**

"What do you mean there aren't any stitches?"

"I'm looking at your entire back and I don't see anything" Ada replied, dubiously. "So either your imagining things or you've got one hell of an immune system"

"There was a giant, infected gash in the meat of my back. I spent two days in a hospital bed. They told me that they stitched me up. You don't imaging stuff like that!" Leon said begrudgingly, pulling his shirt back down and pushing up to his feet.

He quickly made his way back upstairs, Ada right on his heels. There was a horrible feeling in his gut. A notion that meant something was seriously out of place. And Leon hated it when things were out of place. He loathed not knowing everything there was to know, especially when it came to his own body or well being. But most of all, Leon hated surprises. As he burst into his bathroom, tearing the shirt off in the process, he turned around so his back faced the mirror.

Leon craned his neck in order to see the ventral portion of his body. Ada watched him with a mix of curiosity and worry on her face. She moved out of the way as Leon positioned himself in front of the mirror, moving and turning. His muscles rippled, skin stretched and twisted as he adjusted himself.

"_Just my luck" _he thought, as he used his left hand to pry at the area in vain. "_The one spot of my body I need to get a good look at his the one place I can't reach"_

Eventually he saw what Ada had seen. It was just as she had said. The stitches were gone. There was nothing that could even be considered a wound. The gash itself had closed up, leaving only a healthy pink scar in its place. Leon remembered that the doctor had told him that he would have to have the stitches removed once they had closed the wound. But now, there was nothing in his back _to_ take out. While he should have been grateful that the trip to the hospital would not be necessary, Leon was anything but happy. Things like this didn't just happen to people. Hyperactive healing was the stuff comic books and cheesy sci-fi movies were made of. Not reality.

"_But is it that far fetched?" _his subconscious nagged at him. "_Think about everything you've seen thus far in your life"_

It was true that somewhere down the road of his life, the line between reality and fiction had blurred together. But that was no reason to just blow this off. Something was seriously wrong with him.

"What the hell is happening to me?" he asked, both to himself and Ada as he leaned against the sink and stared at the drain.

Leon felt her place a hand gently on his back, comforting him. Ada's touch warmed his cold skin and he turned his head to look at her. She leaned in close to him. If there was ever a moment when he could read people, now was the time. Her eyes met his and shined brightly with both concern and love. She was worried about him and he was thankful that she was by his side in a time of need.

"I don't know" she said, peeling away from his gaze to look at his back.

She ran her hand along his scapula in order to caress it and study the line of flesh that had once been torn open. Ada then returned to looking at Leon.

"But I know who can help you"

He looked at her with a small hint of hope in his eyes.

"Whatever is happening to you," she continued. "with your eyes or your wound…or anything else that's happened to you. Anything that seems out of place. My people might have the answers for you"

Brief flashes of the last few days echoed in his mind. Waking up in the hospital, attacking the nurse, getting hit by a car, relocating his shoulder, the sparing match with Ada, the batting cage. It all came rushing back to him, slamming into his head like a wrecking ball. It was all a little too much to try and process at once. Like a puzzle being assembled too quickly to see how the pieces came together. Leon stood up and swung himself around in order to take a seat on the toilet. He sighed and let his head hang as he thought about his current predicament. Just when he thought that everything was finally going his way, life had to throw a wrench into his plans.

Leon wasn't scared so much as he was overly concerned about what was happening. A clean bill of health should have been something to be pleased about. But sometimes people could have too much a good thing. And health was one of them, especially when it was enhanced by unknown means. All Leon wanted to do was sit and think about what was happening, hoping that an answer would fall into his lap. Even if the answers were too big for one person to handle. But Ada was right. Maybe her people did have the solutions he was looking for.

As much as she wanted to stick around and play doctor, Ada had other things in mind.

"We've got to get moving" she said in an almost business like tone.

"Moving?" he said, looking up at her, cocking an eyebrow inquisitively "Moving _where_?"

She checked the clock that was screwed into the wall of the bathroom, the second hand ticked by in the silence of the morning. Perhaps it was ticking as a reminder of the valuable time that they had, and needed to use wisely.

"Our flight leaves in an hour and a half" she said, turning and picking up Leon's shirt.

"_Our flight_?" he asked, catching the balled-up garment as she tossed it too him underhand.

"You did say you'd be willing to talk to my people, didn't you?"

"Yeah…" he nodded slowly. "But I wasn't expecting to do it so soon"

"No time like the present." she offered bluntly, as he put his shirt back on. "We have to act now while we have the time"

Leon thought for a few seconds and nodded in agreement.

"_So much for a vacation. But then again, it'll probably only be for a day or two. And this is the perfect opportunity to get a few steps ahead of Wesker and all the other crazy bastards out there. Besides; how can I complain when I'm with her?"_

"Alright then, where too?" he asked, standing up.

"The head quarters is in California" she said, walking out of the bathroom, back into Leon's bedroom

"_California_? Really?" he asked with a hint of surprise as he followed her.

Ada turned and nodded.

"Hell of a place for an agency like that" he said, somewhat cynically.

"Yeah, well, you know" she offered, shrugging and tilting her head. "I've also booked us a room at a nearby hotel and gotten in touch with a car rental agency. So we'll have something to drive once we get there"

Ada stopped when she realized that he was about to question her. It was almost as if she had a sixth sense, reading his thoughts.

"And before you say anything" she said, raising a halting index finger and closing her eyes for a few seconds, "just remember that Wesker will no doubt be watching my place. So a hotel was the only possible option. We can get ourselves settled, acquire plagas sample from the safe deposit box and then rendezvous with my people" she finished, eyeing him as she waited for a response.

"You just think of everything, don't you" Leon smirked, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame of the bathroom.

Ada tossed her head a bit in a flashy manner. "I do what I can"

She noticed that he seemed hesitant, like he was having second thoughts about something as small as a trip and a simple talk.

"Come on. What have you got to lose?"

"_You" _he wanted to say, but instead kept his mouth shut. He masked it with thought and silence.

"Right" Leon replied, nodding in subtle agreement. "Give me a few minutes to pack" he said, holding up an index finger before moving to his closet and retrieving a duffel bag.

Ada watched as he went through his closet and dresser draws, collecting a few changes of clothes. The sound of cloth and wood meshed together as he shuffled around the room. She was surprised at the efficiency and quickness of his actions. He had obviously done this far too many times, like a routine he couldn't break. Leon also journeyed to the bathroom to recover some toiletries for the trip. Just the essentials. A razor, toothbrush, deodorant. The works.

Without missing a beat, he went to his nightstand drawer and started fishing around for something. Her view obscured, Ada listened as Leon grabbed for something. By the sounds of it, it was something made of metal. And it was a sound that was all too familiar to the Asian spy. Leon removed his USP and Berretta along with two clips of ammo and a shoulder holster for each gun from the nightstand.

"You're bringing a gun with you?" she asked.

"Yeah…" he answered, thinking nothing wrong of the idea. "I'm a government agent. I'm licensed to carry a firearm" he said, releasing the lock on the magazine to make sure it was still loaded. When he was satisfied, he slid the clip back into the chamber with a noticeable "chik" sound. "You can never be too careful"

_"Or paranoid"_ Ada said under her breath, glancing away as he threw the harness around his shoulders.

"And just how are you going to get that through security?"

"Again", he said, jerking his thumb towards himself, "government agent, licensed to carry a gun" he said, strapping the holster into place. The USP dangled from its strap as he adjusted it. "You've never walked through an airport terminal with a loaded firearm have you?"

"I've never had any reason to" Ada said, giving a slight shake of her head before moving her bangs out of her eyes. "Most of the time I'm picked up by a company helicopter. Security is a none issue for me"

"Not this time" he said, twirling the Berretta in his hands in a stylish manner before offering her the handle end and other holster harness.

Ada looked at him, annoyed and wondering if he was serious, before grabbing the holster strap and fixing it to her person.

"Well, this is a far cry from a letterman jacket" she said, affixing the harness to her person and adjusting it to fit her size.

"You should see what I do when I want to ask a woman out on a date" Leon said as he reached into his closet and pulled out a leather jacket, throwing it over his shoulders so that it covered the gun he carried.

"I'm all for covering myself. But we're just going for a talk, not a fire fight"

"Well, lets just say I like having a security blanket" Leon said, as he grabbed his duffel bag and headed downstairs, while Ada followed him.

As they got to the bottom, Ada walked past him and into the guest bedroom to retrieve her luggage. While she was gone he glanced toward the window and the memories of stabbing pain to his eyes returned to him. Leon paused for a few moments, wondering how he was going to make it outside. That's when he noticed a pair of sunglasses, a pair that he hardly ever used, sitting next to his wallet. He scooped them up along with his wallet and keys before affixing them to his face.

Ada walked out the guest bedroom, carrying her own luggage. They exchanged glances when the got a good look at each other's attire, looking each other up and down. They were both wearing their leather jackets and sunglasses. The pair of shades that were adorned on Ada's face were strikingly similar to the ones that Leon had seen her with just days ago in Pueblo.

Cocking an eyebrow he asked "So, do those explode too?"

"Oh, _those_?" she asked in mock innocence. "Those were for work. These are for play" she said, giving the eyepieces a small tug.

Leon rolled his eyes and made a motion with his head, telling her to go out the door. Ada complied as he grabbed their luggage. As Leon closed the door to his loft he asked her, "Why does someone need exploding sunglasses?"

**III**

The day was still young as they stepped out onto the sidewalk and neared Leon's Jeep. After a few seconds of getting everything settled, Leon slammed the back door of the vehicle shut, securing their things. He then reached into his pocket. The sound of jangling keys caught Ada's attention and she turned her head just in time to see them fly at her. In a split second, she snatched them right out of the air and looked at Leon.

"You drive" he said, giving her a toothy smile.

"You're letting me drive your car?" she asked, giving him a playful little glare. "I don't know too many men that will let their woman do that. Besides, I thought men treated their cars like their babies"

"I only have one baby. And her name isn't Grande Cherokee" he said to her, giving the woman a wink and a smile.

"And here I thought following a woman's lead wasn't your style" she quipped.

"First time for everything" Leon shot back, tugging at the locked handle of the passenger's side door. It was Ada's cue to unlock the door.

"Fine" Ada smirked, unlocking the driver's side door. "Get in"

**III**

It was all around them, entangling into their skin and hair and lungs and ears. The sounds, the air, the way everything moved and smelt. The white noise and voices that were all around them. It was both suffocating and comforting at the same time. The sensations were like a blanket, wrapping around them tightly as they moved through the airport terminal.

With their tickets in hand, Leon and Ada seemed to have an aura about them. As they walked through the terminal, people parted out of their way. Much like the spreading of the Red Sea. Perhaps it was because they were in a hurry. Either that or it was due to the fact that they appeared like they could kill anyone just by looking at them. Their clothing option of jeans, leather jackets and sunglasses added to this effect. Leon was in no mood for distractions and impediments and, on some subconscious level, was grateful that people were getting the hell out of their way. As usual, time was not on their side. With Ada walking next to him in stride, they maneuvered their way through the crowd of people the only way people like them could.

Soon Ada and Leon came to a security checkpoint. The metal detectors and guards ushered people through, every so often using their hand held detectors to scan passengers. The metal detectors were like ominous gates, a testament to the fact that if they couldn't get through then they were both shit out of luck, and in a whole lot of trouble to boot. Ada appeared to be on the same wavelength as Leon, feeling what he was feeling. She tilted her sunglasses down, letting her eyes peer over the frames.

"Okay handsome. What's your plan for getting us onto the plane?"

"Relax" he told her "I know how these people work. As long as you flash a badge with the letters in all caps, you get an instant compliance. I've seen it happen a thousand times"

His voice was way too at ease. But perhaps this was a good thing. It let Ada know that he was in control and was confident that his plan would work. As they neared the metal detectors Leon turned to Ada and said "Just follow my lead, alright"

Under her sunglasses, Ada rolled her eyes and then shook her head slightly. There was a strong possibility that this wasn't going to work. They both loaded their luggage onto the conveyor belt before Leon stepped ahead and through the check point.

On cue, a loud, piercing sound rang out. One of the guards, a man about a foot shorter than Leon with a receding hairline, stepped forward, a metal detector in hand. He gave Leon a hard "no nonsense" stare. Not that it frightened him at all. Before the man could ask him to remove all metal items from his pockets, Leon pulled out his badge and opened it, revealing his branch of operations. He also moved his jacket to the side, revealing that he was carrying a weapon. Ada did the same, following Leon's lead. The sense of alarm registered immediately with the guard and Leon looked back at Ada before he began to diffuse the situation.

"Agent Kennedy" he said, making sure the security personal could view the badge. "This is Agent Wong. We're with Secret Service, Division Eight. Taking a flight to California."

"I'll need to see some form of identification from Agent Wong" the security man said, tense but easing off a bit.

"_Airports. Nothing's easy with these people" _Leon thought inwardly to himself.

Okay, so the man wasn't as ill trained or naïve as he seemed. He had obviously been through this shpiel before. Ada shifted her eyes to Leon, hoping he had a way to get her past the checkpoint. Without missing a beat, Leon continued talking to the man, while the line of people behind them grew steadily.

"Unfortunately, we're in the process of getting new ID cards from home office. As it turns out Agent Wong's paper work concerning this has yet to reach HQ. I'm afraid all she has to offer is a driver's license" Leon told the man.

"Sir, I'm sorry but that may be insufficient. I'm going to have to call my superior in on this one" the man said, making a grab for the black walkie-talkie on his belt.

"_Okay, plan B"_

Leon gently grabbed the man by the radio he held and lowered it. Leon then looked at the man's nametag before speaking.

"Patrick. May I call you Pat?"

The man looked down at and then away from the radio, his attention back to Leon. He then nodded in agreement. Leon proceeded to put on his best authoritative voice, intermixed with various hand gestures.

"Listen, you know as well as I do that our country is going through a very difficult time. As is the case I think we can both understand that, as government agents, _we" _Leon motioned to himself and Ada, "will not be causing this airline any problems and are a great relief in the event of any emergency. God forbid anything were to happen"

"_He's insane" _Ada thought. "_This act isn't fooling anyone"_

Leon continued talking to the man, "Also, my identification as well as _my word_ for Agent Wong should be sufficient enough to allow us through. That is of course, unless you would like me to get on the phone with _my_ superiors and have _you_ talk to them about _your refusal_ to allow government agents to continue working with matters concerning national security"

The man went deathly pale, like a specter, knowing that he had just screwed up five ways from Sunday. He then nodded to his fellow security personal and allowed them to walk through.

"I apologize for the inconvenience agents" Patrick said, ushering them through the gates.

"Thank you Patrick. You've done your country a great service" Leon said to the man, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

They collected their luggage from the other end of the conveyor belt and continued walking through the terminal. When they were out of earshot, Ada spoke to Leon.

"National security?" she asked sarcastically.

Leon chuckled slightly as they traveled past a gift shop.

"How did you know that he'd buy that?"

"Jedi mind trick" he said, tapping his temple. "Get's 'em every time"

As reckless as that had been, Ada couldn't help but marvel at the way he'd pulled that little stunt off. But there was a question she had to ask.

"How much trouble could you get in for that?"

"Enough. Let's just hope no one else knows that trick"

**III**

A few hours later they were both flying through the air in a Bowing 777. Leon and Ada had made themselves quite comfortable in the first class section of the airplane cabin. It was amazing how some extra leg room and comfortable seats could make a flight more enjoyable. Leon had rolled down the window shade and had taken off his sunglasses, giving his eyes a much needed break. Ada was pawing at one of the meals that the flight attendants had provided. She wasn't much for airline food, but found parts of it that were to her liking. Or as close to her liking as they could be. Mid chew, she looked over at Leon and saw that he hadn't even touched the meal he'd been given.

Ada swallowed her food and asked "What's wrong?"

"I don't like to eat and travel at the same time. Makes me queasy" he answered.

"Such a shame. You're a growing boy. You need your vitamins" she teased in a sultry tone, waving a plastic fork at him.

"Ha ha" he said, picking up a magazine and thumbing through it. "I can't believe they allow that stuff for human consumption"

"How are your eyes feeling?" she asked.

"Better" he lied.

Some discomfort still persisted. More of a pressure than anything else. But there was really nothing he could do about it other than try and preoccupy himself.

The magazine he held was a few months old. The kind airlines hung onto so that passengers would have something to read if they got bored. By some freak chance, he managed to flip to an article that caught his eye. After everything he'd been through it was kind of hard not to ignore the words "Umbrella corp" in large print. The memories flooded back to him. Memories of the trials that brought the once great pharmaceutical company to its knees and then kicked it in the proverbial nose. Except the trials weren't as clean cut as some of the witnesses had liked it. This was mostly due to the actions of a Mr. Albert Wesker.

As the memories filled his mind, Leon was brought back to the trial proceedings. He remembered how Wekser had testified against his ex-employers, selling them out and causing their downfall. The man had provided a mountain of substantial evidence that was enough to bury Umbrella. Everyone who was familiar with him knew exactly were it had all come from.

Wesker had fought, stolen and killed to get it. People, innocent and not, had died in his pursuit. It made Leon's blood boil. What was even more infuriating was that Wesker was not even questioned heavily pertaining to his involvement with Umbrella. The judges took the offerings without question. Practically eating out of the man's hand. And worse, in a public setting, none of the people who knew him for the devil that he was could touch him. Not that they were inclined to do so. It would be a tantamount to suicide to confront the man. Lord knew what kind of abilities, physical or financial he had at his disposal.

He had always been a few steps ahead of them. No one could have seen it coming, seen what he had in store. Leon closed the magazine and tossed it back into the seat holder that he had found it in. Bringing up old memories really did the body no good. Why should he torture himself with such thoughts? But then again, it was quite difficult to bury the past when he was indirectly confronting it in the present. Leon turned to Ada.

"So, do you actually enjoy doing what you do?"

"It gets my hands dirtier than I'd prefer. But at least it puts food on my table and gas in my tank"

"Ain't that the truth" Leon replied. "Sounds like any other job"

Ada nodded in agreement, "You should have heard the shpeil they gave me "Travel the world, steal things, impress your friends and family, run on adrenaline for days when you haven't eaten, slept or showered"

"Sounds fun" Leon said.

"Yeah, loads" she semi-scoffed. "You'd probably love it. Not exactly what I originally had in mind for myself. But the way I see it, it helps me get closer to where I'm going and it grants me the opportunity to do it with a little fun and style. I'm really in no position to complain" she finished, giving an indifferent shrug.

Ada set her fork down and pushed the rest of her food away from her in a little bit of disgust. First class or not, airline food was still revolting. Leon found it amusing, knowing that she was already starting to miss his cooking.

Ada turned back to him, shifting her seat to keep her pelvic muscles from falling asleep and said. "At least _you_ have a rewarding job. You get prestige and adventure. You save peoples lives. Hell, you get to be a hero"

Leon laughed at that, making Ada furrow her brow in confusion. His laugh was really more of a scoff than anything else. She turned in her seat to face him, seeing the bitterness dance across his face. The disdain was evident, making her think that she'd chosen the wrong words. And she thought she knew him so well.

He looked at her, eyes dark and sullen as he spoke, "Fuck being a hero. You know what being a hero gets you?" he looked towards the closed window. They both knew the question was rhetorical. "Nothing. You get shot at. Pat on the back, blah blah blah. _That a boy_. You get injured or get a healthy dose of heartache. You wake up every night for six years screaming in your bed. You spend years of your life seeing good people die because other people, _crazy people" _he stressed, "in this world are too fucked up to see that they're tearing the goddamn planet apart. You get to eat a lot of meals by yourself. Alone. Empty. Trust me Ada, nobody wants to be that guy"

His words stopped her, making her realize just how insensitive she'd been. How wrong and incorrect she'd come across. She never realized that this was the sentiment Leon held towards this aspect of his life.

"Then why do you do it?"

He closed his eyes and sighed as he leaned back in his seat, seemingly staring off into space. As if the answer would somehow come to him if he zoned off long enough. Finally he spoke again, the words finding him.

"I do it because nobody else is going to do it. Believe me if there was somebody else to do it, I would let them. But there's not, so I'm doing it. That's what makes me a _hero"_ he said the word, making air quotes with his fingers.

There was silence for sometime. All the white noise of the other passengers seemed to melt away, leaving just the two of them. Ada was left to ponder what he'd said, digesting it and processing it as she usually did. But something was different about his tale. It seemed wrong, out of place. Like the thoughts didn't fit with the man who had spoken them.

"No one asks for this" he told her. "They have it tossed in their lap spontaneously. And when that happens, you've got two options: step up and meet it or falter and die. Guess I'm in the first camp"

There was more silence before he continued.

"I do what I do because I'm, along with every one else, are proof that one person can make a difference. Still" he said, resting his head on the back of his seat. "is it too much to ask for just a little peace?"

"Not at all" she replied, taking his hand and holding it before leaning her head on his shoulder. "We have to have something to hold onto. Or someone. Anything that gives us hope. Gives us a reason to keep fighting for a better future"

Leon had noticed that she seemed warmer as of late. No longer cold and calculated as he had known her to be. It was a welcome change, like that of the shift in the seasons. But Leon hoped that, unlike the seasons, Ada's mood wouldn't shift again, leaving him broken once more. Leon rested his head against hers, relishing the moment that they shared.

**III**

The plane finally touched down on a runway, jerking and rumbling uncomfortably as it found its footing on solid ground once more. Soon it careened into a loading zone and came to a complete stop. All the passengers started moving around, standing and collecting their carry on luggage. Leon was much more content to just sit and wait for every one to pile out ahead of them. Ada silently agreed with his decision as both were in no real hurry to get where they needed to be. Leon reaffixed his sunglasses to his eyes and opened up the blind of the window. Even with the shades, his eyes squinted reflexively at the sudden explosion of light. It was as if an atom bomb had gone off only a few meters away.

"Welcome to California" he heard Ada say as he looked out at the horizon.

"_Great_" Leon thought to himself. While somewhat prepared, he had no way of truly knowing what lay ahead of him. All he knew was that he'd be facing it with Ada by his side.

He turned in his seat and asked, "What if you didn't get me out of the house in time?"

All Ada did was give him a playful look, her eyes sparkling at him.

**Author's note: Leon's "Hero" speech was partially inspired/borrowed from **_**Live free or Die Hard. Also, I have no idea if the title of this chapter fits it or not. So, whatever.**_


	10. Love Reign Over Me

After collecting their luggage, Ada had told Leon to wait for her by the main exit of the airport. He watched her disappear into the crowd, leaving him to people watch for several minutes. Impatience quickly set in but was short lived as he saw her worm her way back through the masses of travelers.

"Our ride's here" she said, leading him out the automatic doors while he carried their luggage.

The two of them stepped out onto the sidewalk and were instantly bathed in the warm California sun. They watched as people came and went, ferried either on foot or by taxi or their own vehicles. A seemingly endless stretch of parking lot lay before them. They looked out at it, very similar to how one would look at a vast ocean before them. It was somewhat painful to look at. No matter which way he turned his head, the sun was bouncing off of every metal roof top and right at him. Even through the sunglasses the dull needles of pain pushed into his eyes and Leon looked over to Ada who stared strait ahead into the glittering, metal ocean. There was no sign of any rental car.

"So…where is it?" he asked in delayed curiosity, glancing left and right for signs of a vehicle.

No sooner had he said that when Ada tilted her head to the left, looking past Leon. He turned his head and watched as a brand new, black NISAN Versa drove up and stopped right in front of them. The valet, a blonde haired man about twenty two who was dressed in an airport vest and sunglasses, stepped out of the driver's side and greeted them with a large smile.

"Here you go folks" he said, tapping the roof of the car lightly. "Make sure you get where you're going in one piece alright" he said, popping the trunk for them.

The valet offered to get their luggage for them but Leon waved the man off. He walked to the rear of the car, lifted their belongings and deposited them into the trunk before shutting it. While this was going on, Ada met with the valet as he stepped back onto the sidewalk.

"Will do sweat-heart" Ada said, flirting with the young man and handing him a few bills as a tip.

She glanced back over to Leon who was watching it all from the rear of the car. Even under the shades, Ada could tell that he was staring daggers at her. The valet parker left and Leon walked around to the passenger's side of the vehicle. He glared at Ada while she unlocked the door from the driver's side.

When they were both buckled up and situated Leon cocked his head and asked in annoyance. "What the hell was that all about?"

"Ahhh. Jealous are we?" Ada crooned.

"Pfft…Please" he scoffed. "Over that?" he jerked his thumb back towards the valet.

"You know, you're a terrible liar Leon" Ada teased as she put the car into gear and started to drive down the lane that would lead out of the airport.

"I am not" he tried to defend himself.

"Really? Then why did it look like you were ready to tear that kid's throat out?" she asked, turning to look at him before focusing on the road again.

Leon sat in silence, looking at his feet while Ada chuckled.

"Ahahahahah, I knew it! You're jealous" she said with a small laugh, throwing her head back. Ada took her right hand off the wheel and reached over to Leon, rubbing his cheek. "You're cute when you're jealous. You know that?"

All Leon could do was shake his head and roll his eyes. She loved to mess with his head. Keep him running in circles. Then again, he must have liked it too. Otherwise why would he continue to walk into these little jokes of hers?

"Lighten up" she said, putting her hand back on the wheel. "It's just a little bit of fun. He wasn't my type anyway"

"Then why did you…"

"Hey" she shrugged. "You can take the girl out of California. But you can't take California out of the girl" she said as they pulled out onto the highway.

California itself hadn't changed much since Leon had last visited the state. As he and Ada drove down the streets of a busy metropolitan area, he noted everything that his senses took in. _Palm tree, juice bar, palm tree, juice bar, salon, night club, tattoo parlor, designer clothing store, nail salon, spa, palm tree, surf shop, expensive car dealer ship, lavish houses in the background, plastic surgery clinic and a juice bar_. In other words, California was just how MTV portrayed it. And it was just how Leon cared not to remember it by. But it was unavoidable. The most he could do was take the good with the bad, enjoying the scenery while trying to block out the falseness and consumerism that had overtaken the Pacific state.

Leon watched the landscape go by, leaning his elbow on the open window and letting his arm prop up his head. At times he would close his eyes and let the wind whip at his face, feeling peace and relief mix with the anxiousness and intrigue of what was to come. The idea of what he would experience when he met Ada's superiors tugged at his mind. It wasn't until Ada rolled up the windows that he snapped out of his daze. He looked over at her and she laughed slightly, taking some amusement in startling him out of his daydream. Leon returned the laugh and noticed that she had taken off her sunglasses, no longer needing them as clouds started to cover the sky. He did the same, pulling the shades off his head, folding them and tucking them away in the inside breast pocket of his jacket. The low light was a welcome release from the blinding sun that had been plaguing them throughout the day.

Ada had been willing to let him zone out and see a part of the country that he hadn't in a very long time. But she was getting tired of the silence that filled the car.

"How long has it been since you were last in California?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the road.

Leon had a brief flash of sitting in a military office two years ago. He had just gotten done with lunch and was driving back to his temporary home at the time when he had gotten a phone call. It was his boss at the time, asking him to turn around and come back. Leon had later learned that his good friend Jack Krauser had been in a helicopter accident and died. Of course, that had all been a lie. And Krauser was no longer a friend. But these were memories that he kept to himself.

" 'Bout two years" he answered, looking out at the people and shops they past by.

A pet store with a large window display caught his attention. A few young puppies were playing around. Jumping and nipping at each other. Leon even thought he could hear the animals making small barking noises. Or maybe he was just imagining it. For a brief moment, he remembered the dog that had assisted him in Spain and wondered if it was even still alive. It was certainly more resilient than the plagas infected canines that he had been forced to put down. Leon assumed the best regardless.

Ada noticed his attention was diverted from her again. She sought to correct that immediately.

"So, I've got a game we can play until we get to the hotel"

"A game?" he asked, sitting upright and cocking an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm not real big on games Ada"

"Oh, trust me, you'll like this one" she said, gripping the wheel a little tighter. "It'll help us get better… _acquainted_ with each other" she purred, striking up his interest.

"Alright" he let up, giving his knuckles a good crack. "What type of game is it?"

"Favorite movie" she said, not missing a beat. It was more of a declarative statement than a question.

Familiarity graced Leon's consciousness as the rules and goals were laid out for her game.

"Ah, I see where this is going. Okay…uh…" he said, balling a fist and pressing it to his forehead in an attempt to dig through his memory. "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. You?"

"La Femme Nikita" Ada said, watching the road. "Favorite time of year"

"Summer" he answered, looking at the road ahead and then back to Ada to hear her response. "I'm not real big on being cold"

"Shame" she said. "I find winter to be somewhat romantic"

"Favorite food" Leon asked her, trying to change the subject quickly as well as unwilling to let her play the part of the inquirer.

"Pizza"

He gave his answer. "Kimchi"

The street light ahead of them turned red. Ada pressed on the break and the car came to a stop. The two of them lurched forward for a few seconds before falling back against their seats. For a few seconds, Leon thought his comment had touched a nerve with her. Almost like she had hit the break in response to his answer rather than the red light.

"Come on" she said in a tone that meant she didn't believe him.

"No really" Leon responded, trying to convince her. "I get cravings for Asian food all the time", he finished with a small, circular wave of his hand.

"_Interesting"_ Ada thought as she checked her speedometer as well as the amount of gas that the car contained.

"Alright…favorite book" she said, as the light changed green again.

"War and peace" he answered.

"Pride and prejudice" she said, not bothering to let him ask, knowing the question would come any way.

The next few questions were a simple string that they answered, going back and forth amongst themselves. They each had a favorite color. Red for Ada and blue for Leon. He enjoyed tomato juice and she indulged in red wine. But it was the next question that made Ada re-think who she was journeying with.

"Favorite television show" she asked as she watched a gaggle of blonde teen girls walk down the sidewalk.

"_Children these days" _Ada thought with an inward sigh. "_Don't they have anyone else to look up to besides Paris freaking Hilton?"_

"Oprah. And a healthy dose of TLC" Leon answered, catching her off guard.

She threw him a look like he was crazy.

"You can't be serious", she said, almost annoyed.

"Totally. How do you think I learned to treat women so well?"

"Makes sense" she said with a shrug. There was always some logical reasoning to everything he said and did. Quite practical if one stopped to think about it.

"What about you?" Leon asked, pointing to her and inquiring about her TV habits.

"I don't watch a whole lot of television much anymore. When I do it's usually to catch up on the news around the world" she answered flatly.

"Wow" Leon said, disappointed. "You struck me as a Comedy Central type of girl"

"Of course I did" she said before giving him a light shove on his shoulder. "In your dreams, Leon"

The questions went on for another few minutes before they came to a startling conclusion. They were total opposites yet they both realized they had a love for jazz music. Strange how one little thing could find a way to unify them, strengthening their bond. Even if it was in the slightest of ways. After the time of Q and A was over, the car returned to silence as the two of them listened to the sounds of the road, the people and their own breathing. But it didn't take long for Ada to get fed up with the silence again.

"You know, being this quiet is kind of a turnoff" she said, looking over at him as he stared out the window.

"I'm just thinking. That's all" he answered in a dazed tone.

"About what? The meeting?"

He nodded.

"You need to learn how to take your mind off things that aren't of any concern to you at present. Take things as they come to you. Nothing, and I repeat, _nothing_ bad is going to happen. We're going to go, have ourselves a nice little talk, join hands in stopping Wesker and everyone's going to leave the theatre smiling."

"I'm not worried about what's going to happen. Anxious is more like it. I'm just thinking about what we're going to discuss. That's all. Plus, it's just a little difficult trying to adjust to normality when my life has been anything but" he defended himself.

"I understand. But trust me. This is the one time that something isn't going to go to shit"

"And what about what's happening with me? Do your people really have answers for that?"

"We won't know until we talk to them about it. We'll leave that topic for last" she reassured him.

Human nature is an interesting thing. A person experiences so much in a lifetime that they are able to form beliefs and ideals about how the world should function. Sometimes these experiences are good, others bad. Either way, what a person goes through in their life forever shapes the rest of their existence, continuing to influence it in ever the most subconscious ways. The future remains shaky and uncertain. Some look at what lies ahead expectantly. Others never wish to meet it.

Apprehension is mixed with hope. Fear and doubt combine with one another, forcing to override the emotions and feelings that compel us to act on the curiosity that is ever a part of one's nature. Some run from destiny, unwilling to meet what they must. And still others, for reasons unknown, knowing full well what they will see, feel, hear and smell, run to it. Regardless of the danger that may be present. Such is the ever present paradox. And an intriguing one at that.

**III**

The car ride didn't last much longer. Leon spied the hotel almost instantly. It wasn't exactly difficult not to notice. A tall building, several hundred feet across and at least twenty five stories up loomed before them. It was more or less like any hotel that Leon had seen before. Similar white to pale yellow paint job, a central entrance where guests would come and go, and several windows with balconies signifying the many rooms that faced towards the street. It was a nice place, really. The hotel had to be, given the location that it resided in. Leon had to hand it to Ada. She sure had an eye for real estate.

After parking the rental car in a nearby parking structure to the hotel, Leon and Ada made their way to the front of the building, stepping through a revolving glass door and into the enormous lobby. The entire ground floor stretched out for about a hundred feet in every direction. If it wasn't for the giant fountain acting as a center piece for the lobby then the entire ground floor would have been nothing but dead space. It was the sort of elaborate and gaudy fountain that was in most of these types of hotels. In other words it was the form of a stone, naked mermaid holding an urn. The urn itself was the source of the water outpouring, creating a gentle trickling sound". As they passed it, Leon looked up at the figure and noted that she had a cloth wrapped around her eyes. Similar to the figure of "Justice" that would sit on a judge's desk. For a split second he was reminded of the statues in the R.P.D. building.

The floor was layered with sparkling green and grey marble, spanning the whole floor. The walls were some form of granite or cement. It was an odd choice, making the lobby seem more like the entrance to a prison than hotel. Thankfully the floor as well as some much needed tapestry gave the lobby some color. As the two of them neared the receptionist desk, Leon noted the several glass elevators that led up to the various floors of the hotel, their hallways overlooking the lobby.

Leon craned his neck up marveling at the height of the building and secretly wishing he wouldn't have to take a fall from such a great height. He continued to let his eyes wander, taking in everything. For he didn't know when he'd ever be in a place this nice ever again.

Ada reached the large receptionists desk first. A young girl, about eighteen with brown hair cut neck length and framing her face, was seated there and had been watching anxiously as they neared her, waiting to assist them.

"Hello" Ada said, smiling and placing and arm on the desk. "I have a room reserved under the name "Wong" she said to the young woman.

"Okay" the receptionist responded, letting her hands fly across the keyboard on the desk. She looked at the monitor that sat in front of her, scrolling through lists of names. Eventually she was able to zero in on the reservation.

"Ah, ha" she exclaimed. "Here we go. We have you on the 20th floor. Room 2009. Great view of the city. A large accommodating bathroom. And one king sized bed"

Leon eyed Ada in surprise. The receptionist noticed this, instantly understanding that the choice had been made without his consent.

"I…uh…hope this is what you…were looking for?" she said, trying to save face.

"No worries" Ada said before turning to Leon. "I'm sure we can make…something work" she purred in a sultry and sly tone, cupping his shoulder with a hand.

"Alright…then" the girl said, turning to the wall of key cards behind her and reaching for the one to their room. She turned back and handed it to Ada. "Enjoy your stay"

"Oh trust me" Ada said, taking the card and tugging at Leon's shirt, leading him. "We will"

She led Leon to the elevators, pressed a call button and stepped inside when the thick metal doors opened. They waited until the car doors had closed to speak to one another, Leon thankful that they were the only ones occupying it. He watched as she leaned against the metal rails that were welded into the glass. She propped herself up with both arms but allowed herself to slouch down, letting her legs fall forward a bit.

"Can't you ever play by the rules?" he said, leaning against the side of the car, poking fun at his companion.

"No" she said, shaking her head lightly. "I like being a _bad girl_" she ran her hand through her hair then stood up and moved close to Leon. She pressed up against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "And I think part of you likes it too" she finished, taking a finger and tracing it around his muscled chest.

"_Oh boy_" Leon thought as he looked into her sparkling and cat-like eyes. "_What am I going to do with this woman?"_

**III**

The car stopped at the 20th floor, just like the receptionist said it would. Luckily, none of the other guests had gotten on the elevator as they rode it up. Leon enjoyed that they had a little bit of privacy in the confined space. With a pleasant "ding" sound, the metal doors opened up. They walked out and, with Leon still acting as the pack mule, quickly made their way down to their room through an endless hallway of doors.

With a flick of her wrist, Ada inserted the key card into the door reader and watched as the light changed from red to green, signaling its unlocking. They walked in where Leon set the bags down near the door and took in their surroundings. Ada immediately flopped down onto the bed and rolled over onto her stomach. She curled her legs up, letting them kick slowly in the air. Leon walked through the room, looking at the bed, the large 30" TV that sat motionless across from it, the dressers and even the bathroom. It was just a normal hotel room, nothing more and nothing less with a soft beige color for the walls that was easy on the eyes. Ada watched him, similar to how a cat watches its prey, as he neared the window shades and drew them open. Leon winced slightly, putting an arm up to shield his eyes as the light hit him. He was thankful for the receding cloud cover.

He looked out over the city as and marveled at all there was to see. The receptionist had been correct. The view was something else. It almost made him feel like a king, godly even. But he dismissed the thoughts and turned back to look at Ada, who smiled at him coyly.

"So" he said glancing at his watch. It was getting late in the afternoon. "We should get going if we want to speak with your people"

"Oh" Ada said with mock surprise. It was almost like she was waiting for the question to come out. "I guess I forgot to tell you. The meeting is tomorrow"

It was like she had done this on purpose. Like it was a way to play a very funny joke on him. Then again, it probably was on purpose.

"You could have told me about this earlier" he said.

He wasn't really upset. All he could do was tell himself that he should have seen this coming. It was just like Ada to leave him in the dark as long as possible.

"I could have" she said, sitting up. "But really. Where would the fun be in that?"

Leon sat down on the bed, the mattress sinking under his weight. He felt Ada come near him and put both her hands on his shoulders, caressing them slightly.

"All work and no play…" she started to say.

"Alright" he said, smiling at her playful nature. "What did you have in mind?"

Ada hopped off the bed and went to their luggage where she proceeded to open up her suit cases. She rummaged through them a bit before finding what she was looking for. She returned back to where Leon sat and handed him a folded black garment.

"Here, put this on" she said.

**III**

"And so I said ,"_Your right hand comes off_?" " Leon told Ada who let loose a small laugh of amusement.

"Come on, you really said that?" she asked before taking a sip of sparkling wine from her glass.

They had been sitting in the lavish Italian restaurant for little over two hours, enjoying each others company over a nice dinner of pasta and wine. There were many other people enjoying themselves in the low lit, crimson tapestry covered environment. A few of the tables were even lit by candle light for ambience. As it turned out, Ada had been through his closet and found his suit jacket, packing it away in her luggage just in case an opportunity like the one they were in at the moment presented itself. She wanted them to look nice for a night out. Leon had immediately accepted the invitation and got spruced up for her and only for her. Ada herself was wearing a beautiful, white oriental dress with embroidered gold butterflies that traveled down the left side. It was cut open at the side to allow one of her legs to poke through. Similar to the dress she wore in Spain. There was also a blue sash covering his bare, milky shoulders. As much as Leon thought she looked good in red, she looked absolutely stunning in white. It provided a contrast against her black hair, making it stand out and shine.

"Well, he walked into it. I mean he did say he was going to send his right hand after me" he winked at her.

"Clever"

"Hey, it helps to be a smartass sometimes. Throws the bad guys off kilter"

They took small bites of their meals, eating and smiling at each other before Ada was ready for more talk.

"So, why did you want to be a cop?" she said, patting her lips with a napkin.

"I don't know" Leon shrugged. "My dad did it. So did my uncle for that matter. Seemed to be one of those "like father like son" situations that you hear so much about"

"Where are your parents now?" she asked, looking out window towards the street.

"Somewhere in Pennsylvania. Living their lives I guess" Leon said, poking at his food with a fork.

"Do they know?" she asked vaguely

"Do they know what? About what I do?"

Ada nodded, curious as to what his home life was like nowadays.

Leon shook his head. "No, I think it's better if they don't have to worry. Besides, I'm an adult, I can take care of myself"

"_Fair enough"_ she thought before moving onto her next question. "What was your childhood like?"

"The usual" he said, leaning back in his chair. "School, friends, hated math classes, liked to be outdoors a lot. I was a member of the baseball team for three years of high school"

"Any girlfriends?"

"Yeah, but none that could hold a candle to you" he said, making her blush. "I guess you have to be the age we're at now to really appreciate being in a relationship. Kids just don't understand that"

Ada looked at him like she expected him to say something else. He caught onto this and added. "I had a stamp collection too"

She chuckled and shook her head. He could be funny when he wanted to be.

"What about you? What was your life like back in the day?"

Ada was quiet for awhile before talking again. She picked at her food for a few seconds before answering.

"I had the same situation as you mostly. Loving parents and a younger brother. I went to a private school which I detested and moved onto collage after that"

"And let me guess. Both your parents were spies, met, fell in love and faked their deaths to move on and raise a family" he jested. "Fairy tale ending and all that?"

All Ada did was give him a sad look, her eyes softening. Leon watched her and attempted to alter the subject somewhat.

"How's your family doing now?"

"They….died in a…car accident. About a few years back" she said, uneasily.

"_Aw, jeez" _he thought, saddened at her predicament and wishing he hadn't brought up the subject.

He still had both his parents. And she had to go through the rest of her life without hers. How alone was she before she met him? How unloved and detached? Leon reached over the table and touched the top of her palm.

"I'm sorry" he said.

"It's…alright. I'm over it, moved on with my life" she said, masking her emotions.

He attempted to make her feel better, "Hey, that's something you never get over. And I'm here if there's anything you want to get off your chest. I know what its like to lose people Ada" he said, comforting her.

"_So now he's an empathizer"_ she thought.

It was uncomfortably quiet for a long time as they stared at their food. Leon knew that he had struck a nerve with her that shouldn't have been touched. All he wanted was something to lighten the mood and make her feel better. Anything. Anything at all.

That's when he heard band of the restaurant change the tone of the music to something more low key and peaceful. Leon looked at the band and then at Ada before noticing and empty space in between the tables of fancy dressed people. The gears in his head started to turn. Leon knew how he could cheer her up.

"Come on" he said, grabbing her hand and startling her.

"What are you…" she started to ask as he led her to the small space.

Leon pulled her close to him, putting a hand around her waist and using his free hand to entangle with one of hers. Ada realized immediately what was happening and a look of subtle embarrassment flashed across her face. She started to move in synch with him as the music played. The pale skin of her face started to turn a rosy shade.

"Leon" she hissed. "People are staring at us!"

"Let 'em" he whispered into her. "Cause I want them to see you happy"

"I….don't….dance" she said, punctuating the words in a vain attempt to get her point across.

"First time for everything" he said, pulling her closer and moving the two of them in unison. "How about I follow your lead?" he offered, much to her chagrin.

Ada tried in vain to break away. It wasn't much of an attempt. As much as she wanted to save herself from embarrassment, she couldn't bring herself to pull away from Leon's arms. She found so much solace in them that she relented and inched herself closer to him, moving with him as opposed to letting him move the two of them. She had to admit that he was quite the charmer. It had been so long since she'd had the pleasure of dancing with a man, if only for the sake of dancing, happiness and pleasure. They waltzed together for some time, letting the music move them. It was almost as if Ada was in a trance. A trance that she could not wake from and wondered if she even wanted to. It was no matter. This was bliss for her. She put her head against Leon's chest, falling even farther into the dream that she had fashioned for them.

Then she woke up. The sounds of clapping bringing her back to reality. She pulled away from Leon slightly and looked up at him. He gave her a tired smile and looked toward the crowd of people around them. After a few seconds, Ada also turned her attention towards the guests seated at the tables. She blushed slightly, either out of humility of embarrassment at what Leon had suckered her into. But regardless, she was grateful that he had shown another side of himself as well as a good time.

"_He really knows how to treat a woman right"_ she thought as she wrapped an arm around his waist and tugged him close while her wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

He wore black and she wore white. Total opposites, but each had come together in the most exquisite way during an excellent evening.

**III**

After a brief stroll along the beach to watch the sunset, Leon and Ada returned to their hotel room. One more night of rest was all that stood in the way of the meeting that lay before them. Ada had scampered off to the bathroom to prepare for bed, leaving Leon to wait in the bedroom. He stared out at the lightened cityscape, letting his thoughts wander while he listened to the traffic pass on the streets below.

A sound from the bathroom caught his attention and he looked back, noticing that the door was opened a crack. His interest peaked, Leon inched towards the door quietly and looked through the opening. What he saw confused him.

Clad only in flannel pajama bottoms and a black bra, Ada leaned against the wall of the bathroom, facing away from the door. She didn't see Leon and was nowhere near the mirror to see his reflection. But Leon saw her. More importantly, he saw the look of utter sadness on her face and the wound that she nursed, one hand wrapped around it and massaging it with slow, up and down motions.

It was an ugly red scar ran just under her ribs on her right side. He was reminded of the Birkin thing that had attacked them six years ago in Raccoon. But he couldn't be certain that this was the true source of the wound. Leon was able to see that the scar itself did not cause her any real pain. No, there was something else that was wrong, something internal and emotional that she was dealing with. It was also some conflict that she had not voiced. And it was very possible that it was eating her up inside.

"_What is she hiding?"_ Leon thought forlornly.

How had he not noticed that till now?

"_It was dark the last time you slept with her. She covered herself up. It's no wonder you missed the scar you idiot" _he chastised himself internally.

It killed him to see her saddened. But he had to play this correctly. It would be terrible to talk to her about it now. Leon went and sat down on the bed before calling out to her.

"You okay in there?"

After a few seconds of silence he heard a "Yeah, just give me a minute"

Once said time frame was over, Ada strolled out of the bathroom wearing her pajama bottoms and was covered up with a lacy pajama top. She sat down on the bed next to him, brushing her hair a few times with her hand.

Figuring that there was no time like the present he said, "So, I gotta ask something. What did you mean when you said something about me changed you?"

She smiled, looking at the floor, "No one's ever stuck their neck out for me like you have. I've never known anyone who put their life on the line for me. It made me rethink a lot of things in my life. Made me appreciate more too"

"But I have to wonder. Why didn't you do what Wesker asked you to do?"

When she didn't answer, the realization slammed into him almost instantly. This whole time, ever since Spain, she had been trying to protect him. She had risked her life in order to save his. The mix of emotions overpowered Leon. He was so thankful and gracious that this wonderful creature cared enough for him. No, not enough. She cared more than he could ever understand. The least he could do was attempt to understand. Because really, he felt for her what she felt for him.

There was something nagging at Leon. This wasn't enough to bring her to tears. The wound on her side had healed. But the pain she was feeling was more internal. Something that was buried deep, covered up and sealed away. He had to know what was wrong. Leon wanted to know how he could fix whatever was broken with her.

"What's really bothering you?" he asked.

Her eyes widened for a brief second. She knew that he wasn't stupid. So there was no reason to try and dodge him on this one.

"You wouldn't understand" she said to him coldly, turning away from him.

Leon reached over and pulled her back to him gently, making her face him.

"I told you if there was anything you wanted to talk about that I was hear to listen. So try me"

Ada was silent for some time, mentally preparing herself for him. She was about to tell him something that she hadn't told anyone for a long time. Something that she thought she could forget and never have to face again. But Leon had opened a can of worms. There was no going back now.

Taking in a large breath she started with, "Do you… remember the Tokyo subway attacks of 95?" she asked uneasily.

Leon nodded, unsure of where the story would take her.

"I lied when I said my parents were killed in a car accident. Really, my parents and brother were….on the train when the sarin gas was released. While they weren't…killed initially, they were exposed to enough of the residual fumes to be effected by it"

"_Oh my God" _Leon thought, remaining silent at her plight, a knot winding itself in his gut.

He had read enough to know that sarin was deadly, and even being exposed to a little of it was enough to kill someone.

Ada continued, picking through her past and reliving the pain it brought her. "For several months….I…watched as the poison in their systems…ate away at them, killing them slowly. I watched and cried as they suffered in agony and pain, paralyzed, foaming at the mouth, convulsing, unable to breath. My mother. My father. Even my little brother. They….died. Slow horrible deaths"

It all became so clear to Leon.

"That's why you do what you do. The spying and stealing and viruses? This is all to get back at them, isn't it?" he said, placing a hand on hers "By bringing down the people who make bio weapons and viruses, you're getting revenge?"

"No, not revenge" she said. "Justice"

Ada clammed up after that statement, not willing to say anything else. Leon just watched her, melancholy at her predicament as well as feeling rage for what she had loss. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fucking fair. Why did this beautiful woman have to be put through something so terrible that it altered who she had become?

"Why did you agree to help me?" she said abruptly, breaking the silence out of the blue.

"Because I love you" he said, before he even realized what had come out of his mouth.

_"This is it Kennedy. Cat's out of the bag now"_

"Love…me?" her voice cracked. "After everything I've done to you I don't deserve your love" she scoffed, ashamed, rubbing her arm.

"I know, but this is what I want" he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "What I want is us"

"How can you be so sure that I'm what you're looking for?" she said, craning her neck to look at him.

Leon didn't speak. He just broke away from her and tore off his shirt. Ada didn't understand what he was doing at first until Leon grabbed her hand gently and led it up to his left shoulder. That's when Ada noticed the ugly round scar. Leon's bullet wound from Raccoon City that he'd received, protecting her. Like her, he also had a war wound. He meant to say that they were the same. They stared into each other's eyes, seeking to lose themselves in the moment. Ada's were puffy and red as tears trickled down her cheeks, the mix of emotions flooding her system, like a tidal wave breaking through her.

"I'm sure…" Leon said, reaching over to touch her abdomen. She instantly knew that he was aware of her scar. "because we're so much alike. We hurt and feel the same. And….because" he tried to find the words, "There's something between us that I don't think we can let go of. That we don't _want to_ let go of"

He looked away for a few seconds to think about his next sentence before he said. "And because it hurts like hell when you're not around"

Ada didn't have anything to say to that. It was all too much to take right now. Their love for each other as well as his willingness to save and forgive her. Why? Why did he have to be so perfect and sweet and caring? After everything she had put him through, he was willing to wipe the slate clean and just love her. It made her feel guilty and shameful. She didn't understand it, so her only defense was to give in to her tears.

Ada started to sob and Leon pulled her closer to him, pressing their bodies together. It wasn't sexual. The bond was him caring for her more than anything else. He was there for her. Leon hugged her close and stroked her hair, rocking her slowly back and forth as she cried in his arms, so sick with love and loss that it was all she could do. Her body jerked and twitched slightly as she cried into his chest. Then without warning, Leon leaned in close and started to sing softly into her ear, calming her as well as serenading her. Anything that would make her tears vanish.

_I am a simple man_

_So I sing a simple song_

_I've never been so much in love_

_I never hurt so bad, at the same time_

_I am a simple man_

_And I play a simple tune_

_I wish that I could see you once again_

_From across the room_

_Like the first time_

_Just wanna hold you_

_Don't wanna hold you down_

_Hear what you're sayin_

_Spinnin my head around_

_And I can't make it alone._

_The ending of the tale_

_Is the singing of the song_

_Make me proud to be your man_

_Only you can make me strong_

_Like the last time_

_Just wanna hold you_

_Don't wanna hold you down_

_Hear what you're sayin_

_Spinnin my head around_

_And I can't make it alone._

By the time he had finished the song, Ada's tears had all but dried up. She wiped her eyes with her hand and then kissed Leon, long and passionately on the lips. He was perfect and she was thankful that he was hers. He lifted her up, took away her sadness and made her feel human again. There was nothing more that she could have asked for. A night of turmoil for them ended with them in each other's arms, happy and blissful that they had each other. And with that, Ada found solace sharing the same bed with Leon once again, at peace because he had helped her confront and drive away her demons.

**Author's note: Leon's song is "Simple Man" by Graham Nash. It's not something I came up with. Also, some of the dialogue references RE 4.**


	11. The Rightous and the Wicked

_Truthfulness is something that does not come to this world as easily as it once did. The world that we know is full of lies. People deceive and are deceived on a daily basis. From the smallest white lies that children spread about each other to the world crushing backstabbing which presidents and country leaders formulate. A lie is such an ugly thing. A falsity of all which is good and right. Some would say that they are necessary. That a lie isn't a lie until one is aware that is a lie. And thus lies keep us happy. But what happiness is there when the lie is exposed for the trickery that it is? What happens when a lie threatens to tear the world asunder?_

The morning came, just as predicted. The skies were clear and blue, letting the sun softly touch the world as it had done for many years. Birds sang and the morning commute was peaceful and without disruption. Leon and Ada couldn't help but feel blessed and strong, their health and happiness a reflection of each other. Yin and yang. Red and blue. They had no one to thank for this but themselves. Night's previous slumber was blissful and fulfilling. It left them ready to meet the day. There was perfection as far as the eye could see. Even if the eye did not have far to look. Even all the eye had to view were the eye's that belonged to their lover.

But perhaps perfection was not the best word to describe what the morning brought. Even though Leon and Ada felt whole, together with each other, all as not right. The morning was not as perfect as it could be interpreted. For Leon, there was something nagging at him, like a splinter in his mind. A splinter that refused to let go of the strangle hold it placed on the psyche. Leon could feel it. Feel the awkwardness. There was something very wrong. Something unseen at the moment. But it would raise its ugly face soon enough.

Something bad was going to happen this day. Something evil. It was only a matter of time. Time ticking away, signaling the imminence of what was to come.

It was all Leon could think about as Ada, clad only in a cotton bathrobe that the hotel provided, wrapped her arms around him from behind and placed her head into his spine. She nuzzled as Leon, clad only in a pair of shorts, stared out at the horizon on the balcony, watching the sun through his sunglasses and keeping these thoughts to himself.

"Thank you for last night" Ada said, speaking into his ear.

Leon smiled and reached around, bringing on of Ada's hands up to his mouth and giving her a small peck on the back of her hand before letting her return to wrapping both her arms around him.

"Seems a downright shame that you kept you all to yourself for these years" she said as she came around to face him. "Such a waste"

"It's not a waste anymore now is it?" Leon said, pulling her close.

Ada shook her head and brushed her bangs out of her face. She just couldn't get over how beautiful the man was. So strong and firm yet able to be extremely gentle and caring at the same time. She looked into his bright and strong face, taking off his sunglasses to get a better look at his eyes.

"_Still dilated" _She though as she touched him.

He smiled at her in a weird way, making her question the intent.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"I want to promise you something" he told her. "I'll promise to help you, no matter what"

"What do you mean?" Ada asked, placing her head on his chest and letting him hold her.

"Just what I said" he answered, tracing his fingers through her hair until they tickled the nape of her neck. "I'll help you bring down Wesker, and everyone else like him. Bring them to justice. I have my own fight to pick with the man. I owe that much to you. And you owe that much to your family"

"Thank you, Leon" she said, not taking her head off his chest.

He was silent for a few seconds, living in the moment, before speaking again. Like he wanted to say something extremely important but couldn't find the right words for what needed to be said.

Finally he found the right combination of words. "We can still have a life together" he said. "It may not be the life you once had, or the life I dreamed about having. But as long as I'm with you, none of that matters"

"And you know what I say to that" she said, looking up into his eyes.

Ada grabbed one of his hands and held it up to his face, making sure that he could see.

"I'm never letting go. Not again"

"I'm glad to hear that" Leon told her as the sun shined into the room, adding to the warmth that they had created for each other.

But with the warmth came the icy feeling that Leon was still sensing, worming its way into his gut and threatening the microcosm that they had made for each other.

**III**

As normal as it should have been, the bank that Leon and Ada walked into didn't feel very normal. Perhaps it was the fact that there were renovations being done. Or maybe it was the fact that as soon as they walked through the door, all the tellers and other employees stopped what they were doing to stare at them. There must have been something about them, some presence. But Leon knew better.

"_It doesn't feel normal because this place houses a devil" _he thought, thinking about the nasty package that Ada had stored in one of the bank's safe deposit boxes.

Leon trailed her as they made their way towards the front desk, acting as Ada's shadow. He knew perfectly well that his place was out of her way. Let her take care of what needed to be taken care of, leaving him to act as a spectator.

As they neared the teller counter, an elderly women with a violet business suit and gray hair wrapped in a bun looked up from the paper work that she had been going through. The small golden name tag pinned to her chest read "Simone"

"Hello. How can I help you today?" the woman asked with a slight tone of indifference.

Ada leaned on the counter and said, "Good morning. I was hoping to access the safe deposit box I opened up with this bank several days ago"

"I see" the woman said as she turned to the computer monitor on the counter. "Name please"

"Yuriko Oyama" Ada told the teller, using the false alias that she had set up so as to avoid suspicion from the wrong people.

The woman went to work, typing in various commands into the computer. Ada looked over at Leon who had his attention diverted to another area of the bank, watching. For what, Ada didn't know. As far as best guesses went, he was impatient. Either that, or he was keeping a look out for something. A preposterous idea, but when it came to Leon, going with his gut instinct in something usually meant that you came home alive.

"_Look at him" _she thought. "_He must think we're being watched"_

Ada immediately chastised herself for being so careless. There was always something going on. Whether it could be seen or not. She had to be careful at all times. One small lapse and you ended up a corpse. Still, she dismissed it all as Leon just being paranoid.

"Follow me please" the woman said, snapping Ada and Leon out of their respected daydreams.

They did as instructed, with the woman leading them through the bank into a rear section of the bank. The three of them eventually stopped at a secured metal door. One look was enough for Leon to tell that it was reinforced steel. An extra guess told him that the walls around it where most likely several layers of concrete thick. In other words. There was something extremely valuable behind the door they were staring at. The safe deposit boxes.

The teller took out a keycard from her pocket and slid it into a card reader near the door handle. It was similar to the readers in hotels and once she removed the card, the little light flicked from red to green. Simone then opened the door and they all went inside the room, letting the door closed behind them.

It was just like how the movies depicted it. Rows upon rows of small little metal doors stacked about six feet up, containing whatever valuables that people deemed important. Leon watched as the bank woman handed Ada a key to her box and heard her say "I'll be right outside if you need anything."

She then left them in the room together, alone. Ada looked at Leon and waved the little key in her hand before turning and going to the wall of doors. After a few brief seconds, she found her safe deposit box, unlocked it, opened it and removed a small, chrome case.

"_There it is_" Leon thought. "_The_ _plagas sample. The devil_"

Ada brought the box over and set it on the table that was in the room while Leon watched from the other side of the table. She then touched a small number pad on the box before the case opened itself with a "hiss". A real expensive piece of equipment to house the even more valuable prize inside.

"There it is" she said as they looked down at the small vial stored comfortably within the case.

Leon looked down into the box and saw the six inch little purple vial with a pressure gage attached to it. It was so surreal to see an object this dangerous in such a normal state.

"Yep, there it is" Leon said, reiterating her statement and letting the worlds flow around his mind.

He looked up at her and gave her a half frustrated, half annoyed look "Did you really need to hold a gun to my head to get it?" he asked.

"Oh don't start" she answered, closing the box.

**III**

There was one stop left. The last leg of the journey lay ahead of them. Relief should have been present within the rental car. But the only thing that was floating in the air was an aura of apprehension. This of course, came from Leon as he sat in the passenger seat, thumbing through some papers. A knot had formed in his stomach as he pawed through the dossiers that Ada had given him.

"_A little background information"_ she had told him as she drove to the location of the Agency.

There wasn't much to go on. Just several files on who the big names of the place where. _Nathan Summers_, head of security. _Thomas Corleone_, waste management. _Jack Stilos_, PMC/ Tactical supervisor. _Dr. Dean Portman_, medical specialist. _Lucas Bishop_, overseer of genetics and viral research. _Johnathan Woo_, treasurer and financial lead for the company. _Sarah Rushman_, public relations. _Simon Brock_, international relations. And finally, _Director Robert Drake_.

Every name on the list detailed either the board members of the Agency or the people who worked directly under them. The lists held names, ages, years working for the Agency, rank of importance. The works. Everything that Leon would need to know for when the time came to converse with these people.

"Will we be speaking with every one of them?" Leon asked, waving the file slightly.

"That depends on who's there or not" Ada responded, glancing back to make sure that the package they had was secure in the rear seat. It was. "They may not all be available at this time due to their work schedules. If anything, Director Drake will be the person we'll be speaking with first and foremost"

"Awesome" Leon said in less than enthusiastic tone. "You think I'm dressed right for this?" he asked, pointing his hand toward himself in a "look at me" gesture.

Ada glanced over and saw that his ensemble was more or less what he had worn in Spain. A pair of heavily dark blue jeans with a dark grey/blue t-shirt. This of course was covered by a leather jacket to cover up the weapon he held. Not exactly interview material, but it wasn't like he had had the time to pack properly for the meeting.

"Yeah, you should be fine" Ada answered as they turned right onto the next street. "What about me?"

Ada had chosen a pair of black khaki pants that widened out near the feet as well as a dark, blood red button down shirt. After some goading from Leon, she had relented and worn the leather jacket that she had brought with her. A fashion decision that, at any other time, would not have settled with her very well. She also decided to wear a pair of red heels which were a stark contrast to his black high tops.

"You look good no matter what you wear. But love the look you have now. Black pants, red top. Nice look" he told her as they drove deeper into the city.

It was about another half hour before they were able to make it all the way to the main building. For Leon, it was appeared both strange and somewhat appropriate that the building would be within the city itself. The sky scraper was tall. At least 40 stories of solid metal and glass. The sun shined against the giant steel juggernaut of a building, bouncing off the thousands of windows and signaling its presence to Leon and Ada. For some strange reason, it reminded Leon of the Fox Plaza in L.A.

As Ada pulled the car towards the entrance, a man clad in a dark uniform with a baseball hat and sunglasses stepped out of a toll booth. Leon cautiously glanced at the man, noting the Berretta on his belt as he walked around to the driver's side window. He watched as Ada rolled down the window and flashed an ID badge that she'd taken from her pocket.

"Ada Wong and Leon S. Kennedy to see Director Drake" she told the guard. "He's expecting us. Tell your guys it's important. Let Drake know that _the_ _present_ is here" she stressed with an imploring tone. It let the guard understand the importance of the case. "He'll know what that means"

The guard eyed Leon for a few seconds before turning away from the car and walking back into the booth where he flipped a switch for the barrier to be risen up. After that, it was a simple task of finding a place to park.

**III**

As grand as the building seemed, Leon was able to see very little of the interior. He and Ada were ushered through a series of areas that were inaccessible to the regular staff of the building. Utility tunnels, VIP passageways, back entrances and things of that sort. Very secretive. Very cloak and dagger. Anything to keep the little operation they had going on under tight security. It was just the kind of treatment that Leon had expected. What he didn't expect was that he and Ada be stripped of their guns. She still held onto the plagas sample.

"_Security measure my left nut_" Leon thought as they were escorted by two tall Caucasian men in black suits. He didn't like being unarmed. It made him feel naked, alone and vulnerable. But he had been assured that the weapons would be kept safe within the building's armory on the 33'rd floor. With that, Leon turned his attention back to their escorts.

Aside from earpieces, each man wore dark sunglasses, even in the dim light of the building. Something which Leon found odd and unnecessary. The two men, like Ada, stared strait ahead. Almost as if they were only focused on the task at hand and nothing else. A bomb could go off and they'd still look like the autonomous drones that Leon took them for.

After a long elevator ride ending on the 35th floor, Leon and Ada found themselves staring at two very large wooden doors. A metal plaque on the wall read "Board Room".

"You ready?" she asked, hefting the small box.

"Yeah" he answered, sighing. "No time like the present"

They opened the doors and stepped inside the boardroom. A long panel of windows were at the opposite end of the room about twenty feet across, looking out over the city. There was a short, Victorian style carpet lay under their feet, clothing the entire floor. It was a combination of reds and blacks interwoven with some gold Celtic or Welsh designs that Leon couldn't place. In the center of the room was a large, oak desk that could comfortable seat about fifteen. And sitting on the wall adjacent to the windows was a large plasma monitor used for whatever reasons.

But all of this paled in comparison to the person standing near the windows with his back to Leon and Ada. He turned around and Leon knew exactly who the man was. He had seen his picture in the list of files that Ada had given him. Director Robert Drake.

"_Guess its just him and us"_ Leon thought as they closed the distance between them.

Dressed in a dark suit and pants, the white man was completely bald. This gave him the appearance of an undertaker more than it did of a director for a large firm such as this. His face was something else though. Long and bony, with a large forehead that seemed to force the man's brown eyes deeper into the sockets, making him resemble Death. From where he was standing, Leon could tell that the man was about a few inches shorter than him. And for a guy pushing sixty, Drake was in considerable shape. Leon could tell that the suit was a little tight on the man and was able to see some form of musculature and upper body strength. It was only a wild guess as to how a man his age had been able to accomplish something like that.

Robert Drake smiled, walking over and greeting Leon and Ada. The gesture did nothing to alter Leon's perception of the man. He may have been working off of preconceived notions, but he was able to read enough of the man to tell one thing: Leon didn't trust him. Not one bit. But he kept his opinions locked away in his mind for the time being.

"Mr. Kennedy, Ms. Wong" the man said in a warm and smooth tone, shaking their hands. "Excellent that you made it here. I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am for both your time and your hard work"

"_Seems pleasant enough"_ Leon thought as Ada handed the sample over to the man.

"So, I kept up my end of the bargain" Ada said as Director Drake took the sample and set it on the table behind them. "Is this enough to prove my worth to your cause"

The man was quick with a response. "Absolutely my dear. Your hard work has been more than recognized by this company. The sample was just the final touch. You've done wonderfully" he said, taking a step forward and placing a hand on her shoulder, making Leon glance at him uneasily. "Welcome to the family"

"Thanks…" she said, unable to find the right words.

Drake's demeanor changed slightly as he looked at Leon.

"You'll have to forgive me Ms. Wong. But I require some time alone to speak with Mr. Kennedy here"

Ada looked at Leon, a lump of apprehension catching in her chest before she started to turn and walk away from the two. But Leon was no idiot. He wasn't letting Ada out of his sight.

"Naw uh" he said, standing his ground. "Whatever has to be said concerns her just as much as me. We both risked our lives to get that thing here" he said, pointing at the metal box. "Besides, you sent her to get me. I think that's more than enough reason to hear what you have to say"

Director Drake eyed him coldly for several seconds, contemplating his next move.

"Very well" he said "Sit" he extended his hand to the chairs that lined the board table. "Can I get you anything to drink? Scotch, whisky, or perhaps a nice vodka?"

"I don't drink" Leon said, rebuking the man. "What's this all about?" he asked as he plopped down into an office chair, swiveling back and forth slightly in an impatient manner. "Why did you want to meet with me?"

"Let's take one thing at a time shall we?" Drake offered, folding his hands together on the table. "I'm assuming that Ms. Wong hasn't told you all the ins and outs of our operation here?"

Leon sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest, uninterested. Ada sat in a chair next to him.

"I didn't come here for a history lesson" he said nonchalantly.

Drake looked over to Ada who offered. "I gave him the quick and short version"

"Ah. I see" Drake said before continuing. "Then you are aware, Mr. Kennedy, that we have every intention of using the _wealth_ of knowledge that has been accumulated over the years to bring down certain _rogue_ factions that would seek to use viral and bio-organic weaponry in ill ways"

"About how long have you been doing this?" Leon asked, leaning forward, suddenly a little more intrigued.

Director Drake pushed away from the desk and stood up. He turned around and faced the window, looking out over the city.

"Our organization has been running almost as long as Umbrella had been. However, they had more of a head start" he spoke, not even looking at the two seated behind him. "When the people who founded this company discovered the work that was being performed, well, we had to obtain it for ourselves. Make it so that people like Umbrella couldn't use it their research for the ends that they were pursuing"

"Okay" Leon said, not truly impressed but wanting to know where the story was going.

"It's been difficult" Drake continued, turning back towards Leon and Ada. "But we've been able to continue our work in light of the fall of Umbrella" The man cleared his throat and placed his arms behind his back, beginning to pace. "The U.S. government is looking for everyone and anyone who has their hands in this sort of field. They want to investigate or shut them down before anything gets out of hand. The last thing they want is another Raccoon City. It's an absolute witch hunt out there these days"

Leon rolled his eyes, "Seems like a good idea" he said before Ada elbowed him in the ribs, making him wince slightly. Drake didn't notice.

"Ah" the man said, wagging a finger at him. "That's where you're wrong. See, the government is only concerned with self preservation. They see companies like us as liabilities. Renegades even. People who are only concerned with death and destruction and playing God" he finished, sitting back down.

"And you're telling me that you're not?" Leon asked, extending a hand in an inquiring gesture.

"No Mr. Kennedy" he said, shaking his head. "We're concerned with goals that are above the trivial and barbaric methods of those other companies. We want to change the world. For the better. But the government would no sooner shut us down then allow for something so fantastic"

"Can I just stop you right there?" Leon interrupted, holding up a hand to halt the man's speech. "I think I know where this is going. You want me to put in a good word for you so that the government will let you continue your little science fair projects. As long as you convince me that nothing will get out of control and turn another city into the night of the walking dead. That about sum it up?"

Drake chuckled, long and hard. He was obviously amused by Leon's little retort.

"I say Ms. Wong. You sure know how to pick them"

"I do what I can Director Drake" Ada answered.

"But what I want to know is, why me?" Leon asked, turning the attention back to himself.

"Good question. Mr. Kennedy. You're relationship with Ms. Wong is only the tip of the qualifications for why we looked to you. Your knowledge of Umbrella and our company as well as your standing within the government make you a perfect liaison to advocate our cause. Think of it as a personal favor"

"Uh, huh." Leon hummed, still not entirely convinced.

"Not enough of a conviction" Drake questioned. "Well I think there is a lot that both our respected factions could learn from each other and from you. That is, in order to _help_ _you_"

"Say what?" Leon said, suddenly sitting up a little straighter in his chair and looking over at Ada. She looked over to him as well, confused and taken off guard. This was news to her as well.

"Mr. Kennedy, allow me to explain" Drake said, holding up a hand to calm him "The sample that you and Ms. Wong delivered was originally what we were seeking. But when we got news of you and your incredible gifts, well, lets just say that the sample is more of an 'icing on the cake'"

"What do you mean?" Ada asked.

The man picked up a manila envelope and slid it over to Leon who glanced down at it.

"I think there are some things you should both be made aware of before we continue"

A sinking feeling wormed its way into his gut. Leon shot another quick look towards Ada. The small expression of worry was starting to work its way onto her features. Looking back at Drake, Leon opened the folder without taking his eyes off the man. The feeling that he'd woken up with just intensified tenfold.

Inside the folder were a series of charts and readouts. Five or six pages in all, there were sections that had been highlighted in yellow in order to signify their importance, to draw more attention to them. Leon thumbed through the pages, not really understanding what he was reading at first. That was until he took a closer look.

"_RBC count, WBC count, cell division, muscle density, thrombocyte count" _he read through the papers.

It became clear so fast. He was looking at a medical chart for blood work.

Leon raised the sheets of paper slightly, angling them towards the man. "What the hell is this?" he asked, setting the papers back on the desk.

"My boy" Drake said, smiling. "Look closer"

Warily, Leon did as what was suggested, thumbing through the pages several more times, not really seeing what the man wanted him to.

"Bottom of the last page" Drake helped.

With a quick turn, Leon scanned the paper until his eyes saw what they were meant to.

"_**Patient name: S. Kennedy, Leon**__"_

The blood in his veins started to pump a little faster as he went through the paper work again. Going over it more thoroughly allowed him to see that the documents didn't just detail his blood work. Estimated bone and muscle density as well as neurological capacity were also inserted into the charts. His red blood cell count, white blood cell count, thrombocyte count, rate of cellular division, metabolism…everything was extremely above normal.

"I think it would be a good idea for you to start explaining yourself" Leon said, setting the papers down. Ada reached over and started to look through them as well to get caught up.

"A proper idea, yes" he said. "Mr. Kennedy, we have had our eye on you for some time now. We have Ms. Wong, of course, to thank for such shining praise on your behalf. But the truth of the matter is that we know more about you than you may comprehend"

He didn't say anything. Leon watched the man cautiously, waiting for what he would say next.

"You see, we are aware that you came into contact with the plagas parasite during your misadventures in Spain. We are also aware that you were able to, how should I say, 'exercise' the sample out of your body. That isn't to say there weren't any residual effects"

"Residual effects?" Ada asked, looking up from the medical papers.

"That's correct Ms. Wong. You're friend's recent trip to the hospital provided us the opportunity to access his blood samples and test them for any abnormalities. And what we found was astounding"

"Wait. You did what?!" Ada exclaimed.

"Calm down. We did this for a very good reason. And our assumptions couldn't have been more correct"

"What assumptions?" Leon asked, instantly hating where the conversation was headed. He sat up a little straighter in his chair and listened to the man continue.

"It appears that, after being exposed to the parasite for so long and then being able to remove it without it overtaking your system, it has left your biological structure radically altered"

"Altered how?" Leon asked.

"Well, with creature in such close proximity to your nervous system, it has allowed for an increase in neurological function throughout your body. I can only assume that your thinking and mental capacity has intensified as a result. Not to mention the effect that it's had on your reflexes"

Leon glanced at Ada and then returned his icy gaze to the man, giving him a subtle nod before asking, "And the blood work. How does any of that matter?"

"Again, the close proximity of your nervous system allowed for quick access to your brain, which intern commands the rest of your body. It seems that it has changed your physiological structure in such a way that you have an increased RBC count, WBC count etc… Your body puts out a higher rate of Adenosine triphosphate. Your cells divide at twice the rate they used to" Drake said before rattling off a list of benefits. "In short my boy, you recover from wounds at a higher rate than you normally did. You're less susceptible to injuries. Your body can fight off infections better than it ever could. We even picked up on traces of increased muscle and bone density as well as higher levels of adrenaline through the blood samples. There isn't any other way to say this Mr. Scott Kennedy. You are something more than what you once were"

"_Oh, endless freaking joy" _Leon thought sarcastically.

It wasn't like the man was telling him anything negative. But still, he had gone behind his back to do it. As unsettling as it was, Leon continued to listen to Drake, knowing that the worse was still to come.

"How is all of this possible?" Ada asked, dumbfounded yet intensely.

"An excellent question" Drake said with a quick, enthusiastic swipe of his hand. "We believe the key lies within the male Y chromosome"

"The Y chromosome?" Ada asked.

"Yes, it would appear that the Y chromosome is what allows these changes to occur. Somehow, because of its structure, it's the perfect catalyst for these mutations"

Leon had a brief flash of memory, of fighting the infected villagers in Spain. Most, if not all of them had been male. The next immediate question popped into his head and he had to ask it.

"What about the female chromosome?" Leon asked the man.

Drake didn't even need time to prepare his answer. "We isolated the residual plagas from your blood samples and tested them with female blood. There were no changes whatsoever"

"Is there any clear reason for that?" Leon asked, shrugging.

"At this time, all we have are theories. But what he have hypothesized is that females are significantly less likely to be affected by the parasite. The double X which accounts for the female chromosome is much more resilient to the changes brought on by the creature. We're still looking into it at this moment" he said, driving a finger into the table "But due to the nature of the parasite, females are usually not viable hosts"

Another brief memory. Leon had been walking toward the village when he had stepped into a nearby, wooden hut. Just inside was the body of a dead woman, a pitchfork forced through her skull, pinning her to the wood. The slack body hung horridly from the wall, blood drying against the grain of the wood and insects buzzing around the corpse, seeking to make a meal out of the woman. Leon had fought very hard not to vomit after the encountering the sight, knowing that the work was obviously human"

"_This explains a whole hell of a lot_" Leon thought to himself as the man continued his speech.

"Another aspect we did pick up on was that the blood samples were only viable for so long. As you may know, once it's extracted from the body, blood has a very limited time that it can be used. What we saw with your blood, the symptoms lasted a few days. And even before the samples themselves expired, the residual effects of the parasite died out a few days prior. Now those were only small samples, but stop and think" he said, holding up a halting finger. "You have untold numbers of cells in your body right now. The duration of these mutations could be much longer"

"How long?" Ada asked, sliding her hand underneath the table and grabbing Leon's so Drake wouldn't see. A deep sense of apprehension filled her. Worry for the man she cared about.

"We don't know. It could be years before the symptoms wear off. Or it could be within the next couple seconds"

"So, what are you saying? That I'm a Tyrant? Or am I like Wesker?"

"Heavens no" he chuckled.

"_Okay, he needs to stop with the laughing. It's creeping me out"_

"You're something much, much different. Which is why we need to run some tests on you to determine the capacity of your new abilities"

"_Uh oh. I don't like the sound of that"_ Leon thought, speaking inside his head.

Ada remained quiet as the two men talked.

"Is this going to be one of those things where I have to turn my head and cough?" Leon asked in a smartass tone.

"I wouldn't go that far, no"

"This is crazy. I didn't come here for an anatomy lecture. I was told that my meeting with you was to concern the possibilities of our two agencies merging. That we could bring down Wesker and every one else like him"

"I assure you, Wesker will fall in time" Drake told Leon, standing up. "But what we need is more financial resources in order to take on a venture such as that"

"And that's where my people come in, isn't it?" Leon asked, unimpressed.

"No Mr. Kennedy" Drake smiled, sinisterly. "That's where you come in"

"_Oop, here it comes"_

"Me?"

"I'll be blunt. These past few minutes, I haven't been completely honest. You see, it was never really our intention to join with any government agency. They ask too many questions and would try to control our research and development. We were merely looking for someone with your capabilities"

"_Thank you and good night"_

Leon turned to Ada, staring down at her with a hurt, shocked expression on his face. He knew. How could he have been so blind as to not see it? She had sold him out. Ada had gotten close to him in order to sell him off to her people. It had all been too good to be true. There was no trust, only false promises.

"You lied to me" Leon stated to her, anger mixing with disbelief.

Ada looked back at him with large, confused and wary eyes. She was speechless as she attempted to find the words to save and justify herself. All she could do was open her mouth and shake her head, trying to deny it all.

"I can assure you that she did not, in fact, lie to you Mr. Kennedy"

"What do you mean" Leon asked, snapping his head up. He was relieved that his trust in Ada had not been violated but still cautious as to what the alternative meant.

"I apologize but I had to tell that little story as an incentive to get you to meet with us on your own terms"

"What terms?" Ada asked.

"Do you have any idea how much money can be made by studying and testing what you can do?" Drake asked, ignoring Ada. "Have you any notion of what an asset you could become to us? Or even what we can accomplish if you and I join forces together?"

"_Wow, so far I've made like, 15 percent of jack shit_" Leon's mind answered.

"But if what you're saying is true, then why don't you use this and go after more noble prospects? Cure cancer or AIDS?" Ada voiced.

"Now, why would I do a thing like that when there is so much more money to be made within war and military applications?"

"_Strike one"_

"If we could just harness what you are capable of, Mr. Kennedy, then we'd be unstoppable. Think about it. Really stop and think. The power that you wield is unprecedented. And with us helping each other, we can do anything we want. Take on any one we want. The power is there. You just need to reach out and obtain it"

"_Strike two. No, you know what? Fuck strike two. You hit the ball with the tip of your bat and it fell into the catcher's mitt!"_

He held out his hand, "What do you say son?"

Leon looked over to Ada, still speechless. That was until she stood up and stared coldly at the man.

"You said…." She began, angry.

"I said a lot of things my dear" he interrupted. "But the truth of the matter is that in this world, the strong survive and the weak die. So it is in the best interests of the strong to join together. In time, you'll understand Ms. Wong" he turned his attention back to Leon. "So, I ask again. What do you say son? Join with us and you can do anything you want. Have everything you've ever desired"

"Wow" Leon said, contemplating. "That sounds like a really good deal. But….I've got another one. How about, I give you _the finger_," Leon said, raising the middle finger on his right hand to face the man, "and I walk out of here"

Ada looked at him, giving a small gasp. She hadn't expected that answer out of him at all. Drake on the other hand, wasn't so surprised by Leon's lack of conviction.

"I'm sorry to hear that. You're throwing away a golden opportunity" Drake said, somewhat hurt.

"Maybe, but I already have everything I want. No one exploits me for personal gain. We're done here" Leon said as he turned to walk away.

"No Mr. Kennedy" Drake said, as he pushed a small call button that was resting on the underside of the table. The man's eyes seemed to get darker. As if an intense evil fell over them. "Leaving for you is quite out of the question. You see. We've only just begun here"

The two guards who had escorted them to the room entered, making the Leon and Ada turn in their chairs to face them. As they closed the distance between themselves and the table, they reached for their guns and pulled them out of their holsters, pointing them at Leon and Ada.

Leon turned his head to face Ada then looked at the barrels of the semi-automatic weapons being pointed at them.

His brow furrowing in frustrated anger he let loose three words. "God damn it"

**Author's note: Any questions regarding the medical speak I used can be answered by sending me a message or a review.**

**Hope I didn't throw too many of you off with the whole "infected" thing. I knew a lot of you were pointing in that direction. But the last thing I wanted to do was pull an "Alice" and have this super powered Leon. Hence the temporary nature of his predicament.**


	12. Stray Bullet

No one can really know what the future will hold for them. Ever. So it is really, truly futile to attempt to conceive what the day will bring for a person. In truth, there are endless possibilities that can be formed from just a single thought or action that thus derive how the day itself will bloom. Like a pebble tossed into a pond, creating ripples in time and space. There is no fate but what we make. Nothing is ever, ever set in stone. What really determines how the act plays out are the motives and actions of those in the present. It is only because of them that the world sees a future that it does. A future that is either bright and true, or dark and blind.

He should have seen it coming. He should have known that there was some ulterior motive. But he'd been too blind to see it. Too unsure of himself to act on his instincts. And now, it was going to cost the both of them.

The two guards drew down on Leon and Ada with their weapons, forcing the two of them back into their chairs. The model of the firearms were very familiar to Leon. Both guards held Berretta 92's, the exact same weapon that he had lent to Ada. The only difference was that the dark, shining guns had elongated barrels. It wasn't uncommon for the weapon. In fact it made all the more sense to accommodate for the silencers attached to the end of the guns. This was the uncommon aspect. It was uncommon because it meant that there was a very real possibility that the weapons would be discharged within the room, and would need to be silenced. This made Leon very, very worried.

Leon and Ada exchanged glances. There were a lot of things that he had seen in her eyes before. But true, raging anger and a sense of being caught off guard for the first time that she could remember were new to her as well as him.

But for Ada, the look in Leon's eyes was all too familiar.

"_Ah shit"_ he thought as he rolled his eyes exasperatedly, looking back at Drake.

The man gave Leon a hard, disapproving look. Like a father who had caught his son smoking dope or having unprotected sex with his girlfriend. As he walked around to the side of the table, he scooped up the box that held the plagas sample.

"Mr. Kennedy, you won't be leaving any time soon" the man said as he rested on the table and patted the box absentmindedly. "What did you think? Did you honestly beleive that I'd let you go once I had you?"

"Well, to be honest, I was kinda hoping that I'd be treated to some Burger King. Maybe catch a ball game and then we could go out and stare at chicks in bikinis" Leon retorted with a shit eating grin and attitude.

Drake scoffed at him, "It didn't have to be this way. There's so much that we could do together"

"Oh yeah. You know, you're right. Cause I was _sooo_ up for being experimented on and helping you create viral weapons. And in the process make you a rich, evil little douche bag" He said brightly and sarcastically.

"You miss-understand" Drake said. "It was never about the money…" he tried to say.

"Ah bullshit" Leon cut him off and suddenly felt a gun barrel press into the back of his skull. "That's all it ever is with you people is the money, regardless of who you hurt or maim or just completely fuck up while doing so"

"Fine, you got me", Drake said unimpressed. "But really, that's the problem isn't it Mr. Kennedy? You just can't stand to see a man in my position triumph while you 'the boy-scout' loses. Well," the man snorted. "I suppose nice guys really do finish last"

"_I don't know about that. I've come out on top plenty of times, pal" _Leon retorted inside his mind.

"You honestly don't think you can keep him against his will?" Ada interjected.

"I think that we are more than able to do that, Ms. Wong. Considering that all the records regarding your journey here have been expunged"

"Why?" Ada asked in disbelief.

"Insurance" Drake answered. "In the event that Mr. Kennedy was unwilling to stay and _help_ us, we had to make sure that no one would come looking for him" he said, checking his watch. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to"

Drake started to head to the door with the sample in hand, walking past the guards. He paused when he noticed that Ada was not following him.

The man turned around and addressed Ada, "You're not coming?"

"You lied to me and want to turn my boyfriend into a guinea pig. What the fuck do you think?"

"Suit yourself" Drake said as he turned to continue walking out the door.

Leon turned his head and saw the man nod to the guard closest to Ada, a sickening feeling welled up in the pit of his stomach. As Drake opened the door to the board room he turned to his right and talked with an unseen, other person. Leon could hear a little of a conversation that took place. What he could catch made his blood turn to ice.

"Take some fresh samples. Then have him moved to the labs. Be discreet about it"

**III**

"What a great day this is turning out to be" Leon said under his breath.

A man, about in his mid forties and wearing a white lab coat, walked into the room. Obvious scientist type. He was carrying a small carrying case that he set down on the table next to Leon and opened. Inside were a few vials for blood samples, a hypodermic needle and syringe, iodine swabs and a tourniquet rubber rope. If it was up to Leon, he would be out of the chair and kicking some ass. But the gun planted in his backside did little to motivate him. He looked over to Ada.

"Nothing to worry about, huh?" he said to her as the doctor forced him to extend his right arm.

"Leon, I…" Ada tried to say. She didn't know what it would take to make up for her blunder.

The doctor started to swab the crook in Leon's arm with iodine. He tried to fight it, wrenching his arm away. But doing so wasn't exactly the smartest move to be making.

"Stop struggling" the doctor ordered.

"Fuck you" Leon said.

The blow came fast and hard. Leon almost didn't have time to mentally prepare himself as the barrel of the gun slammed into his head, right above his eyebrow. His head fell onto the table and the guard placed the gun into his back, keeping him from lashing out.

"Leon!" Ada yelled.

"_Okay, that kinda hurt" _Leon thought as the doctor went back to work, tying off his arm in order to get the vein in his arm to raise itself.

Leon tried to turn his head and look at the guard. "Look, I get that you're just doing your job and all but…tell me you're really a _bad guy_ at heart?" he asked the man who held him down.

From where he was pinned, Leon could tell the guy was trying to process what he had asked of him. He looked down at him with an angry, confused look. Leon knew that he had the man's full attention now.

"Come on" Leon said. "What is it? You dine and dash? Beat up old women? Kick stray puppies?" he asked. "Just give me something to work with so I won't feel so bad about kicking your ass…"

"You better watch your mouth you little faggot!" the man growled in his ear. "You don't want to make this any harder for yourself than it already is. Cause what's going to happen to you isn't half as bad as what's going to happen to your _chink_ _bitch_ over there"

Leon smiled very slyly, knowing that he'd got what he wanted.

"That'll do" he said.

Before the guard could even react, Leon pushed up and away from the table, knocking the guard's gun out of the line of his spinal cord. He then pushed back further, driving his back into the front of the man, as well as sending the doctor flailing to the ground in surprise. While he had the element of shock, Leon grabbed the guard's wrist with his right hand and used his left hand to lock the rest of the guard's arm to his shoulder, effectively pinning the arm and keeping the business end of the gun outstretched and away from him. The guard started to use his free hand to punch Leon in his ribs, breaking his concentration.

"Motherfucker!" he exclaimed, giving the man a quick strike to the face with his elbow. He felt the man's nose crumple under the strike, like an egg shell breaking.

That's when he noticed that the guard near Ada was raising his own firearm to fire at the two struggling men.

Timing his actions just right, Leon swung himself and the man around so that the outstretched gun was pointed towards the other guard. Leon applied pressure to the man's arm and felt the muscles underneath tighten. He watched as the man's index finger tightened on the trigger of the gun until the little piece of metal was completely depressed.

There was a tiny audible "pfft" sound as the bullet traveled through the silencer. A micro second later a small, bloody ragged hole, the size of a quarter, appeared in his forehead. Red mist shot out the back of the man's head and his eyes rolled back in the sockets, his face frozen in shocked horror.

Ada watched as the body fell to the ground and jumped when the weapon in its hand discharged accidentally, the result of a death spasm. She had just enough time to see the bullet find its mark, impacting into the side of the doctor's head as he had been trying to flee. The man let out a small cry as the round tore into his skull, killing him instantly. His body fell to the floor, and skidded to a quick halt, leaving the white lab coat to drape over his fallen form.

Ada looked back to see Leon pull down on his attacker's arm with as much force as he could. The reaction was almost instantaneous. The man let out a small yelp before an even greater sound echoed through the room.

"Creeeeaakkkkk"

It was probably the most beautiful sound that Leon had heard in the last few minutes. So fast yet he was able to take in every second of it and pick it apart. A slow start that led into a higher, grinding sound before finally dying out. Like breaking a piece of wood that had dampened on the outside, yet was still solid on the inside. Like a carrot being broken in half. Or, to put things into a finer perspective, it was the sound of a man's right radius and ulna snapping in unison.

The man's arm cocked at an odd angle and Leon used this to his advantage. He took the man's broken arm, gun still in hand, and drove the barrel into the man's own chest. Leon took his hand and made the guard squeeze off several rounds. Thanks to the silencer, there was hardly any sound. Just a few muffled "puffs" and the man slackened in Leon's hold.

As death took hold of the guard, he tried in vain to obtain as much life as he had left. He gritted his teeth in anger, astonishment and pain as blood filled his thoracic cavity, making him bleed out internally. He looked into Leon's smiling, cocky face as the last sentence he would ever hear was uttered to him.

"Aren't guns just _fucking_ _great_?" Leon asked.

Life left him and he could no longer answer. Leon let the man drop to the floor, dead. He then looked about the room and took in what he had just done. What was necessary. If he hadn't acted as he did, acted in self defense, then he and Ada might not be standing here in the present. Although he would never attest to it, the entire confrontation had taken less than a minute and forty five seconds.

Leon took one last glance at the man and then rushed over to Ada, who was just trying to get to her feet. He knelt down and scooped up the other gun, tossing it to her. She looked down at it then at Leon, bewildered while he was tucking his stolen weapon into his pants.

"Come on" he said with a stern look as he took her by the hand and led her to the doors.

**III**

After checking to make sure the coast was clear, Leon led Ada down a few hallways until they reached a series of elevators. The truth of her superior's deception was still fresh in her mind. It stung like hell, being used and having her trust violated. But what was even more infuriating was the idea that this was the first time that Ada had not been in control. That she had been over confident and thought she knew everything there was to know. Yet all of this had fallen to pieces. And worst yet, she had dragged Leon along with her.

Ada feared that this could very well be the end of them as Leon slammed the call button for the elevator. He looked strait ahead with a cold, hard stare, waiting for the doors to open. If Ada didn't know any better, she would have assumed that he was furious with her. But she had to know. Had to understand what was going on inside his head.

The elevator finally reached them and the doors opened. They stepped inside an empty car and the doors closed. Before Leon had a chance to hit a floor button, Ada placed her hand on his shoulder, wanting to get his attention.

"Leon" she said, ashamed. "You have to believe me. If I had _any_ idea that this is what that bastard wanted I would have…."

Leon turned to her quickly and pulled her close to him. Faster than she expected, he pulled her mouth close to his and kissed her, long and hard. It was all Ada could do to keep from falling over in surprise. She stared at his face with wide, astonished eyes, wondering how things had played out like this. Leon soon broke off the kiss and looked into her eyes with a serious, reassuring look.

"It's not your fault" he told her. "You didn't know"

"Leon" she said, bringing a hand close to her chest. Her heart was beating incredibly fast. Whether it was from his actions or the circumstances that they had found themselves in was anyone's guess. She was just relieved that he didn't hate her. That he didn't curse her for her lack of foresight was a weight off her chest.

"But…I just don't understand" she said to him, looking down at the floor.

"What's to understand? You trusted them and they lied to you. They used you Ada" he said, placing his hands on her shoulders.

She looked up at him with anger in her eyes, finally understanding the thoughts that had been swimming around in her head. Drake had just made a large error of judgment.

"_If he thinks he can use me and get away with it, then he's a dead man_" she thought with rage, balling her fists.

"Never trust the people who stand to profit. They're the bad guys, plain and simple" Leon said, hitting a button for one of the lower floors. He looked at her and noticed the rage that was working its way over her body. "You angry?" he asked.

Ada nodded to which Leon replied, "Good, hang onto that"

"Where are you going now?" she asked as the elevator started to move.

"I'm going to go get my gun back" he answered.

**III**

The car eventually stopped on the 33rd floor and the elevator doors opened. Leon hugged the wall and looked out of the car. From what he could see, the halls were completely deserted. The only problem was knowing how long it was going to stay that way.

"Where's the armory?" he asked Ada.

"Come on" she said, stepping out of the elevator and leading him.

They took several winding paths down various hallways. All of them were deserted. All of them looked identical. So it was a wonder how she was able to find her way. But for better or for worse, Ada led Leon right to the entrance of the armory. A large, hydraulic metal door, very similar to the ones that Leon had seen in the underground labs of Raccoon city stared back at him. There was a key code on the wall and he watched as Ada punched in a series of numbers.

"Where the hell is everybody?" Leon asked, looking down the halls as Ada pressed a series of numbers.

"This floor is off limits to normal employees" she told him, trying not to break her concentration. "No one comes up here unless it's absolutely necessary. And even then they need clearance for it"

"Is there anyone inside?" he asked, grabbing for the Berretta tucked into his pants.

"Fortunately no" she answered as she pressed a large 'enter' button. "The door is several inches of steel thick, and the lock would take hours to hack into. There's no reason to keep personnel stationed here"

"Good" Leon said, scanning the hallways. "The last thing we need are unnecessary fire fights"

"Don't get too confident" Ada said. "This place has security cameras over the whole building. We have to act fast" she finished as the door opened, sliding into the wall.

The second Leon set foot inside the room, he felt like he was six years old all over again. The whole room turned into his idea of all the Christmases and birthdays that ever existed rolled together. Large, fluorescent lighting buzzed overhead. They illuminated the rows upon rows of metal racks, holding a large variety of weaponry. Everything seemed to be there. Assault rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, pistols, grenade launchers, RPG's, explosives of various kinds and tons of ammunition. It all rested on racks that stretched at least fifteen or twenty feet forward. For some odd reason, it reminded him of a movie that he'd seen some time ago. Something about computer hackers wearing trench coats and fighting evil.

Ada walked past Leon and over to a chrome table. His USP and Berretta rested silently on top, waiting to be picked up and used again.

"We got what we came for" Ada said, her back to Leon.

She looked up from the table as Leon walked past her, further into the room. Ada watched Leon as he eyed the rows of guns, running his hands over them. Like he was inspecting each and every one, looking for something particular. Almost as if one looks for a book in a library. He stopped and noticed a harness for multiple weapons hanging from a series of hooks on the wall.

"Leon, let's go" Ada said, taking the two guns in her hand.

"Ada, you mentioned a tightened level of security in this place. Why is that? What else of importance is in this building?" he wondered, not taking his eyes off of the weapons.

"A central network hub for the computer system this company owns. All the hard drives for their data along with this armory and a primary lab complex a few floors down. This place is the HQ for all of the Agency's work" she flat out told him. "Which is why we have to get out of her now! It won't take Drake long to see that we've…"

Her sentence was perpetuated by the sound of Leon throwing a weapons harness over his shoulders and then a belt for holding magazines. He moved to the gun racks and grabbed several weapons along with some clips.

"What are you doing?"

"Keeping my promise", he said. It took a few seconds for Ada to realize that he was laughing slightly to himself.

"What's funny?" Ada asked, puzzled by his demeanor.

"It's just…I can't believe you brought me inside this place. Everything that's needed to run this organization is in this place" he said, almost delighted. "We're here, so we might as well take these guys down"

There was a period of silence as Ada looked upon Leon. He had a look in his eye. A look that said he had an idea. She knew just by staring into his eyes that she could see his soul fashion the key components of his plan, working to sharpen it. To hammer out the imperfections. To make it perfect and flawless. And it was this idea that he found extremely entertaining.

"You're serious?" she gaped at him.

"Like a heart attack", he said, loading a pistol and pulling pack the slide on it.

"How do you propose to do that?" she asked.

He turned to her and tilted his head downwards, making his smile seem most devious, "By throwing them a going away party"

"A going away party?"

"Yep. And it wouldn't be a party without some fireworks" he said, picking up a few bricks of C-4 from an explosives cabinet. He grabbed a backpack and started filling it with the plastic explosive.

Ada couldn't believe what he was hinting at. "Leon you can't! There are innocent people here. People with families. People…" she protested, shocked at his change in behavior.

"That will be leaving this building ASAP, leaving it devoid and ready to be demolished" he reassured her, moving to the gun racks again.

"How?"

"I'll think of something" he said. Ada still stared at him, attempting to grasp what he was saying.

"You do realize what you're suggesting we do, right? You want to take this place down from the inside out? It'll be dangerous"

"Huh…" Leon exhaled, "That's never stopped us before. And I'm not going to give these guys another chance to come after us"

Ada thought to herself, finally seeing Leon's point of view. She spoke again, this time with enthusiasm. "A party? Well it looks like I need to change" she said, moving to one of the lockers in the back of the room. Leon saw her remove some form of leather garments from a storage locker and turn back to him.

"No peeking" she said, enjoying the situation a bit more than she should have.

"It's not like I haven't seen it all before" Leon said, his words falling on deaf ears as he relented and turned his back to Ada in order to allow her some semblance of privacy.

When Leon turned back around it was like he was looking at a whole other woman. Ada was covered from head to toe in tactical gear. A short sleeved black shirt was covered by an artillery vest, which in itself held various straps and pockets for weapons and ammunition. There was a slight exposure of her mid drift due to the cut of the cloths. She had also slid on a pair of black, fingerless gloves, very similar to the ones Leon owned. Her pants had been replaced with leather military trousers that formed themselves to the shape of her legs. They too had and assortment of pouches and straps for weapons and ammo. Rounding out the ensemble were a pair of black, shining boots. The outfit did much to accentuate Ada's raven black hair and acted as a stark contrast to her milky white skin. She now resembled the spy that she was. Dark, deadly, and beautiful.

"See anything you like?" she purred as she obtained her own guns and ammunition, tucking them away in the various holders.

"Oh yeah" Leon said, as he loaded another pistol and gripped it tightly.

He looked at the small arsenal that they had both amassed and smiled. Leon and Ada had chosen decent weapons. While they both carried duel Berrettas, Leon had also grabbed a P90 as well as a pair of MP7 submachine guns. His own USP rounded out his firearms. Ada had claimed a pair of Czech, Skorpion submachine guns as well as a FAMAS rifle which she slung over her shoulder. Leon made sure that they each had several magazines of ammunition for each gun, enough so that they could reload a few times. But not so much that it weigh them down. If either of them were sure about what was to hit them, they would need to move fast. Too much hardware would just slow them.

"So what do you think of the second amendment now?" Leon asked as he tossed a fragmentation grenade to Ada.

He reached for the sack of plastic explosives when he spied something off to the side of the clothing lockers. It was another cupboard with a biohazard symbol on it. Curious, Leon walked over to and opened it. Inside were several racks filled with what looked like tranquilizer darts. From what he could see, they looked like they were filled with some sort of yellow compound.

"Hello, what do we have here?" he said, looking at the darts.

"What'd you find?" Ada said, looking up from tucking a rifle magazine away. She waltzed over to stand beside Leon.

"I'm not entirely sure, but whatever it is, it has massive amounts of tetradotoxin in it" he said, handling a dart and reading the label.

"Tetra what?" Ada asked, not understanding.

"Tetradotoxin" he said again. "One of the most powerful neurotoxins in the world" he turned the dart over in his hand. "It works faster than the nerve conduction velocity, which means that whatever gets hit with this is gonna go down before it actually feels the dart"

"_Thanks for the chemistry lesson Rebecca" _Leon thought to himself.

"Is there an antidote?" Ada asked, consulting Leon on his obvious knowledge of toxicology.

"What, like if you shot yourself in the foot?" Leon asked, almost insulted. "Don't do that. You'd be dead before you even realized you had an accident"

"That's really fascinating Leon, but so what?" Ada asked, heading to the armory exit.

"_I think this is the shit they use in the B.O.W. gas rounds_" Leon thought as he grabbed two syringes of the stuff and handed them to Ada, who tucked them away in a satchel compartment.

"Nothing" he said. "They just might be useful later"

Ada rolled her eyes, giving him an 'oh please' look. They then exited the armory and headed back to the elevator as quickly as they could.

"Okay Flash, where to?" she asked, gripping a Berretta.

"Can you get us to this place's security center?" Leon asked.

**Author's note: "No fate but what we make". Terminator 2 reference.**


	13. The Joker and the Theif

Franklin Johner was the chief security staff member of the Agency's main building. He also happened to be the only one scheduled to stand watch for the day. The man was in his mid thirties, stocky and had dark hair with premature graying patches around his temples. The black uniform he wore signified his status as a security operative for the building. Yet the garment did little to enforce this position. Given the man's demeanor, he seemed more suited to be shoved into a cubicle, let alone be designated a man of authority. He had just come back from a few floors down with a coffee in his hands, the warm liquid steamed in the air as he carried it back to the security center.

The entrance to the center was oddly crafted. There was an automatic door which led into an entrance way of sorts where various scanners were present. This was so that anyone inside the room could verify who was in the entrance way before opening up the main doorway. As Johner neared the door, he used a free hand to pull out an all access card for the building's security panels. Very few people had the clearance that he did, but he thought nothing of this situation as he calmly slid the card through the reader, letting it register. He had done it numerous times before and just went through the motions. Like a cog in a machine. There was a small ding sound as the clearance authorized. He was about to take a sip of his coffee when he felt something press into the back of his skull. It felt round, cold and hard and only one thing registered to his mind.

"_Gun!"_ he thought as the blood drained out of his face and torso, like someone punching a hole in the bottom of a boat, filling it up with the icy waters of the ocean. He had been so careless. He hadn't thought that there could be a compromise from within. Hadn't seen the people lurking in the shadows.

"Don't make any sudden moves or sounds." Ada said calmly, pressing the weapon into the back of the man's head.

Without saying anything, Leon stepped around, took the card out of the man's hand and stepped inside the room first, making sure that it was clear. He then waved Ada inside as she continued to hold the man at gun point. Once inside, Leon was astounded to see the set up that the building had. It reminded him of the underground labs in Raccoon. A large set of monitors were hung up on the wall of the room. At least twenty or thirty in all. Each displayed a scene from somewhere in the building and changed to something else every few seconds. The monitors were three feet in height, allowing a large, clear picture to form. Laid out before them was a large, expensive looking console that no doubt ran the whole security operation.

"_Geez, How much money did they piss away on this?"_ he thought, marveling at the setup.

He looked at the monitors and watched as employees moved around in the building, earning their keep for the day. He also made a note of the places that they would have to hit as well as the level of security. They were currently on the 30th floor.

"28'th floor, computer and hard drive main room. 15th floor, main labs" he said to himself as Ada guided the security guard further inside.

Even though they had just killed a few people in self defense, Leon wasn't too thrilled that they were threatening an obviously innocent man. He didn't seem to have the same malice or ill content that was usually attributed with the people involved with these sorts of operations. But Ada was doing what was necessary to keep _their operation_ as quiet as possible. He hoped that she trusted him enough not to do anything too rash.

"P…p…please don't ki…kill me" the man stuttered as Ada walked around to face him, the gun now pointed at his face. The dark, metal eye of the gun barrel stared back at him, almost like the eye of Death itself.

If anything else were to happen right now to push him over the edge, Johner was certain that he would wet himself, or at the very least, vomit. This was too much. He had signed up to watch a building, not to have guns pointed at him. The man didn't get paid enough to put up with such nonsense.

"Ada" Leon said in a parental tone, hoping that she would do the sensible thing.

"Relax Leon, I know what I'm doing" she assured him, not taking her eyes off of Johner. She smiled, like she found the situation most amusing and said "Close your eyes"

"Please" the man begged as he held up his hands. Johner began to shake uncontrollably.

Ada didn't falter one bit as Leon watched her.

"Close them" she said again, this time a bit more sternly. Her voice was like ice as it cut through the air.

Johner did as he was told and started to feel weak in the knees, knowing that his death was upon him. In the darkness, he heard cloth and Velcro move and wondered what she was reaching for.

"Oh God, Please" he begged, feeling quite nauseated. "I have a f…f..family, a little girl" he pleaded.

He felt something press against his hand, something that felt like paper. Without being told to do so, Johner opened his eyes and looked down into his hand. Staring back at him was a very thick roll of money wrapped in a rubber band. He looked up from it and at the two heavily armed people that stood before him.

"I…don't understand" he said, his heart rate returning to normal. He stared at them warily.

"There's eight hundred thousand dollars there" Ada said, pointing at his hand. "Take it. Put it towards your daughter's college fund. Buy a new house, take a long vacation. I don't care" she ordered, almost bored with the situation.

The man wasn't so easily fooled

"What's the catch?" Johner asked.

"No catch" she answered, with a small shake of her head.

"Why should I believe you?" Johner asked suspiciously.

Leon stepped closer to the man, ready to convince him of their plight.

"I'll level with you" Leon interjected. "We know what this company is really up to. You're boss, Drake, wanted to use me for a science fair project. I said no and he tried to hold me here against my will"

"But he would never…"

"He lied" Leon answered hastily. "He's the head of something really bad and has kept you, and most likely a good number of the employees here, in the dark about it. He's planning something big. Something that people like Umbrella would have come up with"

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few very long minutes as Johner deliberated all of this.

"So what do you want me to do?" he asked, looking down at the money in his hand.

"Get yourself and all the employees here as far away from the building as possible. And then just walk away. Pretend this conversation never happened" Leon told him.

"Trust us when we tell you that you're playing a part in stopping something very vile here Frank" Ada said, lowering her gun and going to stand by Leon.

Looking down at the cash in his hand, Johner said, "My wife. She'll wonder about the money. What do I tell her?"

Leon smirked and said "Just tell her that there were some lay offs and that it's severance pay"

Johner gave them both a long stare as his mind processed what was happening.

"You know" he said, "I really don't get paid enough here as it is. And…my little girl. She's always wanted to see Australia"

The man smiled and started to walk away. Then he looked over his shoulder and said "Whatever you guys are planning, just because I'm not here doesn't mean that Drake won't send guys after you"

"We'll handle it" Leon assured the man.

Johner nodded and started to walk out of the room. Leon and Ada turned their attention to the room itself. Then they heard the man speak again.

"Hey…uh…thanks. And good luck"

And with that, he was gone.

"Do you think we can trust him?" Leon asked looking at the closing door.

"I just gave him eight hundred thousand dollars in unmarked bills to turn the other cheek. It's more than he makes in two years. We can trust him" Ada replied, holstering her weapon and turning to the security console.

"Alright then" Leon said, turning to the vast sea of buttons and keys. "You ready to piss everyone off?"

**III**

Robert Drake had just gotten into the labs a few floors down when the alarms went off. Loud piercing klaxons blared and red hazard lights went off, making his heart jump in surprise.

"What the devil?!" he exclaimed in confusion.

An automated computer voice went off and reverberated throughout the whole room, letting its presence fall on the only ears that were currently present. Drake's.

**Warning, warning. Hazardous gas leak is in effect. All employees are advised to evacuate the building immediately. Repeat, hazardous gas leak present. All employees please evacuate. This is not a drill.**

Drake reached for a small handheld radio that was in the pocket of his suit jacket.

"_Hazardous gas leak my ass_" he thought. The building wasn't even eight years old. There was no reason why the utility lines would be faulty now.

As discreetly as he could he pressed the button and said "Johner, what the hell is happening up there? Why is the alarm system…"

"Johner?" came an all too familiar voice. Drake's eyes widened as his temper rose. "Oh, so sorry, wrong guess. Would you like to go for Double Jeopardy where the scores can really change?"

The man, Kennedy. It was him. Lord only knew how he had managed to get himself in the state that he was in now.

"Yeah" Leon's voice came through, loud and clear. Drake's anger increased steadily as the younger man spoke to him. "Your man, Johner. Nice guy and all, but I don't think he's going to be on your payroll anymore"

Drake was silent with rage as Leon's words filled his mind. How the hell had the man outsmarted him. Further more, how had Drake underestimated what Kennedy was capable of? It wasn't like him not to expect the unexpected. Not to know all that was to know.

"What's the matter _Drake_? Are you experiencing a little 20/20 hindsight?"

Drake attempted to compose himself before speaking, "Well, well, well. You certainly are full of surprises aren't you Mr. Kennedy? I have to say that I'm really quite impressed that you worked your way out of that little situation I left you in"

"If you think that's good, you should see me write my name in the snow" he responded.

"_Smart shit" _Drake thought as he seethed.

"Mr. Kennedy" he continued, "we're both reasonable men. I'm sure that we can come to some sort of agreement"

"Reasonable? You just tried to turn me into a bio experiment. I'd say that we're a long way from reasonable don't you think?"

"Really now…" Drake said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Okay, okay. Tell you what. I got a better idea" Leon said, interrupting him. "You hand over the sample to me, let us walk out of here, and go public with what your company has been doing"

"And the alternative" Drake questioned.

"Or, we could do this other plan I had. The one where I plant some C-4 around this building and then turn it into a crater" Leon growled.

"Now we both know that that's not the type of person you are. Why, what would your superiors have to say?" Drake mocked, leaning against a table in the lab.

"Well, last time I checked, I was off the clock" Leon said, looking at his wrist. "Besides, once we erase all the security files and hard drives you have here, there'll be nothing left to pin this on us"

Drakes heart stopped in his chest. All his work. Everything that he had devoted his life to, this man was threatening to take it all away. He'd be damned if he was going to let that happen.

Leon thought that it was best to keep stalling for time so he continued speaking. "And with the building evacuated, the authorities will just assume that it was due to the gas leak"

He tapped the radio speaker with a finger. "You still there?" Leon goaded the man as he looked over at Ada. She was searching through the monitors, trying to get an idea of the building's layout.

"Hmph" Drake snorted. He had tired of this little game. "Now you listen to me you little piss ant. I have worked too long to get where I am today. I have sacrificed so much", Leon heard the man yell as he started to make 'blah blah' motions with his hand. "And I'll be damned if I'm going to let someone like you take all this away from me and then just walk away. I will never let someone of your value escape. You want to play this game? Fine. I was hoping that it wouldn't come to this but you've left me with no other alternative. When my men get to you you're going to wish…"

Leon was starting to get increasingly bored of Drakes rant.

"Um, sorry. Gotta go. Bu bye." He said releasing his hold on the walkie-talkie and letting it drop to the floor. He then crushed it under his foot so as not to be disrupted by it again. He turned to Ada while he rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Man that guy's a wind bag"

"I don't know why you mentioned all that. Now he'll be expecting us at the lab and computer centers_" _Ada said, giving him a strike to his arm.

"Yep. It should make things a bit more interesting" Leon retorted.

"Interesting?"

"Yeah, you gotta look at this like a game of chess. I just forced his move"

Ada just gave him an inquisitive look. She really had no idea what he had in mind. The only real things that she was certain of was that he had a handle on what he was doing and that he was in control of the situation. All Ada had to do was put her faith in Leon, in the man she loved. Because if she knew him like she thought she did, he would not fail her.

"Let's get to work here" he said. "Can you trash it? Make it so that they can't use any of this stuff?"

She nodded as he watched her go to work on the security console, typing in various commands and access codes. He didn't have to be a computer whiz to know that the whole thing would be down within seconds. That would mean no locked doors and smooth sailing. But Leon also knew that things were never that easy. He just hoped that there was enough luck on his side to get them both out of this.

Elsewhere, a few floors down, Drake was seething in anger as he took the plagas sample out of the case and shoved it in his pocket. So all the employees were gone, and his one shot at completing his life's work was about to slip through his hands, laughing at him all the way. But Drake was a man of many actions and many deeds. And as such, he was not so easily beaten. Not when he had so much at his disposal. He reached for a small cell phone in his pocket, flipped it open and dialed a number. Not all the employees would evacuate. There were some that stuck around for emergencies, unless a situation was too dangerous. But the present situation was not so dangerous yet.

"_But oh, how it will be"_ the man thought as someone on the other end picked up.

"Yes it's me. We have a small problem with our guests. I think you know what has to be done. Take care of them as you see fit. Just one thing. The man is very valuable. Take him alive" he told the person on the phone and with a savage and harsh fury he added.

"_Kill the woman_"

**III**

They had to move as fast as they could. Time was of the essence. But no matter how you looked at it, it wouldn't be enough. Leon and Ada had fallen into the lion's den. If what they had heard and suspected was true, then it wouldn't take long for Drake's forces to come down on them. But Leon wasn't worried. He liked a challenge. And he knew that Ada did too. The only thing that he didn't enjoy, was the thought of her in danger. It was the one thing that actually put fear into his heart, making him question any move he made. He just kept telling himself that it would all work out. Nothing would get close to her, not as long as he was near. He would never allow it. Besides, Leon had been through worse.

They rode down the elevator as quickly as they could, silent at first, intent of focusing on the task at hand, on the next move they would make. The two of them had to get to the building's computer center as fast as possible. That is, without getting shot up first.

Ada spoke up as the readout in the elevator 'dinged' off the floors one at a time.

"Something has been bothering me" she said.

"What's that?" he asked, gripping two Berettas in his hands so tight that his knuckles whitened.

"I've been thinking about what Drake said. How does what's happening to you explain your sensitivity to light? You're dilated pupils?"

"I've been thinking about that too" he said as a stroke of insight came to him. He lowered his weapons and turned to face Ada. "And I think I get it. After all that bull that Drake was spewing, something started to click"

"Like what?" she asked, reaching for her own pistols and double checking to make sure that they were loaded properly. She could never be too careful.

"Those people were weak against flash bangs, bright light, things to that effect"

"And you think that some of that may have rubbed off on you when the parasite was removed?" she asked in a 'matter of fact' tone.

"It does make sense, doesn't it?" he answered as his heart jumped each time the elevator passed a floor.

Ada came a little closer to Leon, forcing him to look into her eyes, to focus on her face.

"How long is this going to last?" she asked him as she stared into his eyes longingly. "How long till you're _you _again?"

The elevator stopped on the 28th floor, lurching as it did so and the car dinged, signaling that the doors would open soon.

"I don't know" Leon replied. The doors opened revealing another hallway, this time more mechanical and colder than the ones that they had previously been in. "But we'll worry about that if we make it out of here" he said, brushing a few loose strands of hair from her face.

"_When_ we make it out of here?" she said, correcting him.

"Right, right" he said, shrugging of his mistake. He broke off from her, pressing his back to the side of the elevator and inching his head out the door to get a better look of the hall way. Leon gripped both of the pistols, raising them close to his chest.

"These guys aren't going to come pouring out of the wood work will they? Cause to tell you the truth, I really don't feel like getting shot at today"

"Just stick close and follow me" she said, stepping out of the elevator and moving as quickly as she could down the hallway.

**III**

They had taken a few different turns down the halls. To Leon, the area seemed more mechanical than the office areas than he'd just seen. There were wires, pipes and cables running the length of the ceilings and the walls seemed to be made out of concrete or granite. There was a low, dull buzzing in the air, like a million insects running around in the ceiling. No doubt it was the massive amounts of energy that the floor was using up. Seemed like the ideal place to find the Agency's network hub.

"How much farther?" Leon asked.

Except for another turn to the right, several meters ahead, the hall stopped in a dead end .As she was about to turn a corner, Ada said, "Should be…"

BAM BAM BAM!

The rounds tore a large hole in the wall inches from where her head was. Chunks of concrete chipped away as the bullets ripped through the wall. Leon pulled Ada back, slamming the both of them against the wall. His heart thudded against his ribs as he realized how close she'd come to having a bullet in her head.

"These guys don't waste any time" he said as a flurry of deafening explosions rocked the hallway.

Leon watched as the wall across from them was peppered with ammunition, turning it into Swiss cheese. It seemed like forever as the bullets sliced through the air, striking everything within the small space, a few feet from where they were standing. Leon just kept his back to the wall as the rounds whizzed passed him, snapping and hissing as they went, wishing to find a flesh and blood target rather than the concrete and steel that they found.

Soon the fire died down and sounds of reloading could be heard. Leon looked to Ada who inched her way past him and closer to the corner. As if reading his mind and not even looking at him, she held up a hand to stop him from getting in her way as she started to peer around the corner. Slowly she did this, until a small fraction of her face poked out from behind the corner.

SNAP!

"_JESUS!"_

The bullet swept past her and drove itself into the wall. She swung back into cover, breathing heavily. It had been close. Too close. It had been inches from her ear. But it had been enough. She had seen what she wanted. Several armed men stood at various points throughout the hallway, dug into doorways and whatever else they could find for cover. All were dressed in black tactical gear with equally blackened gas masks, obstructing the view of their faces. Too make matters worse, the only way to get to the computer center was down this hallway. The soldiers were all armed with an assortment of submachine guns and a few rifles. And they were starting to close in on them.

"We should have grabbed some shotguns for this shin dig" Leon said as leaned closer to Ada. "How many do you see?" He brushed some sweat off of his forehead with his arm.

"About five or six" she said, looking strait ahead while she pulled out two pistols.

"Are you sure?"

"Not really. It's a long hallway with a lot of doors"

"So that means there could be more than six guys? Right?" he asked in order to clarify.

"Maybe"

"We should have fucking shotguns then"

They didn't have time to be playing games. They needed to act. Fast. Pulling Ada out of the way, Leon dove past the opening in the hallway in order to make it to the small nook of a dead end. Seconds later, the space he'd occupied erupted in gun fire again. Small bits of debris rained down on him as he got up to his feet. Leon looked over to Ada and nodded. She nodded back and, keeping their bodies in cover, they reached around and fired into the hallway at their attackers.

Leon and Ada got off at least a full magazine or two before the men shot back, forcing their way towards them. They were grouped together in the tight corridor. There was no way to beat them at this rate.

"_This is insane"_ Leon thought as he checked the ammo on his Berretta. "_What do we do? Gotta think fast"_ he thought as he looked around the small nook he stood in.

His eyes fell upon some sort of large cylindrical canister attached to the wall. Upon closer inspection, Leon discovered it was a propane canister. Why propane would be kept here was any ones guess, but it made a crazy idea run through his head. Throwing caution to the wind, he grabbed the cylinder from the wall and heaved it down the hall as quickly as he could, hard. He watched as it impacted with the point man square in the chest, making him fall back with a grunt into his comrades. Without hesitating, Leon stepped into the opening and fired at the canister.

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM

KREEEEEEEBOOOOOOM

The pressurized can exploded, creating a make shift bomb. Fire ripped through the hall, creating an explosion so massive that the shockwave almost knocked Leon off his feet. As he and Ada looked down the hall, they saw six men all lying on the floor, bits of shrapnel stuck in their smoking, charred bodies from when the canister blew. None of them were moving. Seconds later, the sprinkler system went off, drenching the corpses.

"Come on" Ada said, stepping past Leon.

They ran down the length of the hall, making sure that the dead guys on the floor were really dead. A few more meters and the two of them made it to the computer center where another large metal door stood in their way along with a security lock.

"What's the plan?" Ada asked as Leon handed her the access card they stole off of Johner.

"Okay, here's what we do. I go in, start hitting people in the face and see where it takes us"

After a brief pause, Ada said "Works for me", and slid the card through the reader.

Once it registered, they both stepped inside to find a very empty room with four large servers at each corner of it. There was no one inside, which was a relief to them. The less people that got in their way, the better. Ada walked right towards the back of the room where a large monitor and keyboard console sat, illuminating the room in a green glow. She had been around the block a few times and knew how to hack a system like this. Leon watched the door, pointing a weapon at it and covering her back.

"How much time you need?" he asked, staring at the curves of her behind in the tight black pants.

"Not long" she replied. "About seven minutes at the most" She leaned over the board and started entering key strokes.

"Alright. You going to be okay in here while I stand watch out there?" Leon asked her.

"Knock yourself out cowboy" she replied, not even looking up from the monitor. "Whatever will keep you from staring at my ass"

Leon stifled a laugh, setting the bag of explosives down and stepped back outside. The door hadn't even closed behind him when something hissed past his head.

"_Fuck!"_ he thought as he dropped to his knees and fired several rounds into the torso of another soldier to his left.

The bullets impacted into the man's chest and he dropped like a stone. Leon heard the pound of feet from either side of him. He had to keep them from Ada so that she would have time to erase the hard drives. But there was no where for him to take cover. They would be on him in seconds. Taking aim, Leon outstretched his arms and pointed his two Berettas down opposite ends of the hallway and opened fire as reinforcements came. Before each man had the chance to react, Leon squeezed off round after round, nailing the soldiers as they each rounded their respected corners. His aim was uncanny.

One man came around the corner, firing at Leon who flew back to evade the bullets, returning fire as he fell to the floor. The soldier's bullets missed Leon by millimeters. His rounds on the other hand, didn't. Leon landed in time to see another soldier come up from behind him. Without even getting to his feet, he aimed back and up from the floor firing off another round which struck the man in the head. The trooper's head snapped back and he fell to the ground in a heap. Leon pushed back up to his feet just in time to hear another soldier come from behind him again.

Through the chaos, Leon had been keeping track of the number of bullets he had been using. He realized that the ammo in both of his pistols was empty.

"_No time to reload"_ he thought.

Instead, he did the next best thing as he whipped his body around and threw the weapon at the last soldier with all his might, like one would throw a baseball. The weapon sailed through the air, tumbling end over end in rapid succession till it struck the man in the head, producing a loud hard sound of metal hitting bone and knocking him out.

And as quickly as it had come, the second wave was over. Seven more men lay dead as Leon slumped against a wall, exhausted. He took in several deep breaths as the adrenaline in his system died down. He never thought that he would have to bring himself to this. To fight and kill other humans. But all he had to do was to be reminded that he was a man of the law. Leon had to do what was necessary. He was fighting for his life. End of story.

"_Jeez" _he thought in between gasps for air "_All of this for a lady in red"_

"Ada!" he said spontaneously.

He hadn't bothered to pay attention to how much time had past. Glad that she had left the door unlocked, Leon rushed back into the computer center. The whole room was filled with the smell of smoke and melting plastic. He waved some of it out of his face and noticed that the four large servers had been fried beyond recognition. Judging by the amount of damage that had been dealt to them, he had to guess that Ada had done more than just hack the system in order to shut it down.

Regardless of the method, the Agency's computer records and system were toast. Gone. But so was something else.

"Ada" Leon called out into the room, twisting every which way in order to find her.

It was strange. Like she'd vanished into thin air. There was no way to make sense of it. The room itself wasn't that big that she could hide in it.

"So where the hell is she?" he thought as the anxiety worked its way into his mind.

That's when he noticed the small, handwritten note on a piece of paper sitting on the keyboard station. Snatching it up his eyes darted across it feverishly.

_Forgot something. I'll handle the explosives. Meet you at the labs, handsome._ XO.

And underneath the note was a mark in the shape of lips. In the color of lipstick that Ada used. A squeaking sound made Leon looked up to the ceiling and notice that a vent hatch had been opened. It swung aimlessly from the ceiling.

Letting the note drop to the floor, Leon sighed angrily and said, "Goddammit Ada. What are you doing now?"

**Author's note: There is a line or two ad-libbed from both **_**Pulp Fiction**_** as well as **_**Die Hard**_**. I'll hold off on thanking the reviewers until the end of the story. Hopefully you aren't turned off by the slight change in genre. And I am already hard at work on the next chapter. Stay with it.**


	14. Cleansing

Always be prepared. As ridiculous as the proverb is, it inevitably has some merit. No matter how much you plan for something, no matter how meticulous and detailed you can be, fate finds a way to throw a kink into your agenda. Murphy's law, they call it. Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. You have to hope that everything will turn out the way you want it too. That everything will fall into place like it should. But that can never be the case. Things just have a way of going sour at the worst possible moment. Like running a yellow light and getting t-boned, or being put under for an operation and waking up halfway through with your entrails outside your body. All you can do is roll the dice and play the best hand you can be dealt. Either that, or you figure out a way to cheat the system very, very well.

It was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why had she gone off on her own? Why now, when they were stuck in the shit that they were? It was all Leon could think about as he paced around in the elevator, heading down a few more floors, his destination the lab complex within the building. Splitting up was, at least in his mind, the worst possible choice that either he or Ada could do right now. Because of her actions, he was down on fire power, without his satchel of explosives, and somewhat lost in the maze of the building. Fending for himself was not his ideal method of going about taking the Agency down. But whatever he came up with, he'd have to do it alone for the time being and hope that Ada joined back up with him soon.

"_All of that doesn't even matter" _he thought as he punched the wall of the car in frustration.

What was really eating him up was the fact that he couldn't be there to protect her. It wasn't like Ada couldn't handle herself, but for Leon, there was something old and primal that nagged at him. That forced him to forgo all other thoughts and concerns and focus on her. As ridiculous as it seemed, it was in his nature to want to be by her side, to make sure that no harm came to her. There was no other way to describe it really. It was a 'guy thing', plain and simple.

Leon wasn't going to lose Ada again. Not after all these years. Not when they'd just gotten so close, closer than he ever thought was possible with a woman like her. But he really didn't have much of a choice in the matter. She wasn't near him so he had no control over her actions. But, Leon had a promise to keep. And he really hated breaking his promises.

"_Wherever you are, stay safe Ada"_ Leon prayed as he mentally checked his status.

There were two minor setbacks. Leon had really pissed on his chips. Most if not all of the ammo for the Berettas had been used up in the last fire fight. He had, at the most, a few rounds in each gun. That meant he would have to resort to using the MP7's. And if he was familiar with submachine guns in anyway, they would eat up ammo like no other. Then it was just the P90 and his USP to depend on. Leon just hoped that the ammo would hold out long enough for him to complete what needed to get done.

The other setback was that Ada had both the bag of explosives as well as the access card which meant that in order to gain entry to anywhere, Leon would have to do some improvising. All he had to use was one grenade and it wouldn't be enough to nuke a whole floor's worth of work. Combining the rest of the 9 mm ammo into one Berretta and tossing the other weapon of the floor of the elevator, Leon watched as the readout dinged for the 15th floor. He had made it too the labs.

"_Let's just hope I'm the only one down here"_

Wishful thinking at its best. There was at least a ninety eight percent chance that he'd be shooting something.

Stepping out of the car, he was met with shining white tile and glass walls. You didn't have to look hard to see rooms with expensive chemistry and genetic equipment. There was a familiar smell in the air of stale alcohol, like the kind someone would sense when they entered a doctor's office or hospital. Leon shook off the idea and cautiously looked to his left and right. No sign of enemy movement. That was both a blessing as well as a curse. It could mean that it was all clear, or it could be a trap. Either way, he didn't have time to wait and see what happened. There was work to be done.

Thankfully there were directories attached to the walls which let him know which way to take in order to get to the main labs. Eventually he found what he was looking for and was annoyed to see a small card reader attached to the wall. He tapped a button and a calm, female computer voice spoke back.

"_Please present clearance verification"_

Not knowing what else to do, Leon hit a series of numbers in random order, hoping for a result.

"_Access denied"_ the voice said again. "_Please present clearance verification"_

"I got your verification right here" Leon said, as he reached for a weapon and pulled it out of its holster. Pointing the Beretta at the panel and squeezing off six rounds into it.

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!

Deafening cracks erupted within the hall as the rounds slammed into the number pad. The access panel was riddled by the bullets, smoked and popped with electricity once he was done. Small trails of smoke and gunpowder traveled out of the blackened holes like ghosts.

After brief pause, the computer voice said "_Access granted"_

Leon cocked an eyebrow in amused surprise before holstering his weapon and stepping through the door once it opened. Inside was something of a locker area with HAZMAT suits hanging on a wall. He ignored it and forced his way further into the main lab complex. There was no time to protect himself from whatever was inside. He just had to hope that everything was on ice and that his current abilities would grant him some form of immunity should something bad happen and a virus or whatever got out.

An automatic door slid aside and Leon walked through the archway into a darkened research facility. The second he stepped inside, blinding fluorescent lighting clicked on automatically in sequential order from the front to the back of the lab. Leon shielded his eyes in pain using his forearm, until they had the opportunity to adjust themselves as much as possible. The lab was quite large. At least the size of two or three college chemistry labs combined. But unlike a college lab, the equipment seemed new and quite expensive. Three long chrome tables were laid out along the length of the lab. They stretched back at least twenty feet within the lab and were permanently affixed to the floor.

As Leon ventured further into the lab he noted how similar it was to a morgue, cold and desolate. He noted that the sides of the labs were lined with high-tech cabinets that fed right into the wall. Rows upon rows of them, all decorated with a series of numbers and letters. He stepped over to the closest one, running his hand across it. Looking closer he noticed that there was a small slot in each door, about several inches in height. No doubt another card reader to access whatever was inside. The people here wouldn't go to so much trouble if whatever was within the cabinets wasn't valuable. He could only surmise as to what could be stored in there. Most likely virus or genetic samples. All the more reason to blow the place to hell.

Past the rows of storage cabinets were several cylindrical tanks about five and a half feet in height. Upon closer inspection, Leon saw that it was some form of flammable gas. What it was used for he could only imagine, but it would seem like it had some sort of needed property within the lab.

The only other things worth mentioning were several pieces of lab machinery. Things like microscopes, vials, Petri dishes, centrifuge machines, syringes, sealed, sterile work areas and various other lab equipment lay around the site. There was also a collection of black cables that ran the length of the lab across the ceiling and then fed into various outlets of the walls. Lord only knew what they were for.

Leon was just about to head for the very back of the lab when he heard the door which he'd come through open. He turned around just in time to see a new slew of armed soldiers pour into the research area. As soon as they could, they leveled their weapons at him and opened fire.

Shell casings rained down on the clean tiled floor like so many rain droplets of a storm as Leon dove for cover behind the end cap of the middle chrome table. As quickly as he could, he grabbed for his last Berretta and fired blindly from behind the table until the weapon ran dry. Once he heard the dry 'click' of an empty gun, he tossed it to the side and grabbed for his P90. Hearing the men cease firing and beginning to reload, Leon popped up from behind the table as quickly as he could and began to aim at the men, only to have several rounds strike the weapon he held and knock it from his hands.

"Jesus, fuck!"

He dove back for cover, just as a microscope exploded near him and looked over to where the machine gun and landed. Just by seeing the smoking holes in the P90, he could tell that it was unusable. Leon grabbed his MP7's and peeked around the corners of both tables. By his count, there were nine men, all of which were starting to work their way towards him from opposite sides of the room. He noticed that the closest was right near the flammable tanks he'd seen earlier.

Leon blind fired again, causing the men to scatter, before he stood back up and fired past the closest soldier, into the tanks. The rounds tore open the valve on a canister causing the gas to leak out and the resulting spark ignite it. Fire poured over the man as he went up. From his cover, Leon could hear him screaming in pain as he was immolated alive. Before the gas ran out, the soldier accidentally let loose a burst of rounds from his MP5, tearing into the cables in the ceiling. The man then fell to the floor, smoldering as he went down just as the gas ran out.

Leon felt something drip onto his shoulder. Reaching up to touch it, he noticed that it was oil or some other type of lubricant. Tilting his head up, he realized that it was coming from the cables in the ceiling. That's when he knew how to take care of the other soldiers.

Acting quickly, he shot up into the ceiling and dark fluid rained down from above, coating the lab tables. As fast as he could, Leon got up and kicked off of the nearest wall, sending him sliding down the length of the table at a high speed. As he flew, he outstretched his arms and squeezed the triggers on his submachine guns, cutting the remaining eight soldiers down, faster than they could react. He reached the end of the table near the front of the lab and fell off the end of it to the floor. Looking up he surveyed the area and the amount of damage that had been done.

The whole area had been riddled with holes. Equipment lay broken or in some form of disarray and there were the nine dead men lying on the ground. In other words, it looked like a goddamn war zone.

"Jesus, nothing's easy" Leon said to himself as he heard the door to the lab open again behind him.

Ada had finally made it. And just when the action had all but evaporated.

"A…" he started to say her name but what stopped when he noticed what was staring back at him.

The gun was pointed steadily at his face. Looking past the long barrel, Leon could see that the person holding it was none other than Death itself. Or at least, a man who could be closely associated with Death. Drake sure as hell looked the part, as Leon glared at the man. He felt that if he did this long enough, he could ward off his demise. Standing behind Drake was another lone soldier. A bit shorter than the others, but dressed almost the same. Or as far as Leon could tell. The grunt was obscured by Drake's body.

"You don't know when to stop, do you? It's not like you can escape your inevitable death"

Krauser's words echoed in his head. Drake rubbed the victory in Leon's face.

"Well, well, well. Looks like someone gets to be smart. And someone gets to be dumb" he said, taunting him while he brandished his weapon in Leon's face.

Looking down, Leon noticed the case in Drake's other hand. Some how, miraculously he'd been able to turn the tables. And here Leon stood at the mercy of an evil man.

"You've created quite a mess here Mr. Kennedy" Drake said. "But I think this can all be forgiven. Now that we're on more, negotiable terms, I'd say that it's time you donated some of that wonderful gift you have inside of…"

_CLICK_

Before he even knew what was happening, the soldier behind Drake pulled a gun and placed it to the man's head. Drake froze in surprise before trying to turn his head. He was thwarted by the soldier who forced him to keep looking toward Leon.

"Drop it" they heard the muffled, female voice say through the mask.

Drake did as he was told and released his hold on his firearm, allowing Leon to snatch it from him and point it in his face. The two men exchanged varied looks of surprise before the soldier reached up with a free hand and tore away the gas mask. Once they did, Leon couldn't have been happier.

"Heh" he half laughed, half sighed, "what took you?" he asked, staring past Drake and at Ada.

"Sorry" she said insincerely. "Didn't want to catch a nasty bug if you managed to shoot up the place"

"Yeah, well, don't do that again" Leon said. "You almost gave me a goddamn heart attack"

"Oh, you sure it wasn't a bit of heartache?" she said before stepping around to face Drake. She eyed him up and down before speaking again to Leon.

"What do you want to do with him?" she asked in a 'none too pleased' tone of voice.

"First things first" Leon said. "Give us the case", he motioned the metal box.

He held out his free hand, waiting for the package to be delivered to him. Drake stood motionless with his free hand held up in the air, noncom plying.

"Now" Leon said, his finger moving from the trigger guard to the trigger itself.

Drake eyed Leon coldly and rolled his eyes, "Normally, you both would be dead right now, but you happen to pull this shit while I'm in a transitional period. As much as I would like to, I can't give you this case" he answered in a facetious voice. "I've already been through too much shit this morning to simply give it back to you"

Leon looked down and noticed a small bulge in the man's suit jacket pocket. The gears in his mind started to turn, realizing what Drake was trying to do. Before either the man or Ada could react, Leon reached down and grabbed the plagas sample out of Drake's pocket. All the while keeping his gun trained on him.

"Dammit" he said as he watched Leon stash the sample in an empty magazine holder, Leon stepped back and exchanged a glance with Ada.

"Well done, you've bested me. You must feel so proud"

Leon glared at him.

"Oh, so what are you going to do now hero? Come on, tell me son. What are you thinking?" Drake goaded Leon.

"What am I thinking?" Leon asked, putting a hand to his chin inquisitively. "Hmm, you know, that's a really good question. I'm wondering what it feels like to kill a man with nothing but my hands. It's a topic I'm very interested in really" he growled.

"Save it for later" Ada said, walking back over to the door where she retrieved the satchel of explosives. "We still have a job to do"

And with that said, she went to work setting charges throughout the lab while Leon kept Drake at gunpoint.

**III**

"I can't believe that you're going to do this. You're really going to destroy everything that I've worked so hard to accomplish"

"Yep" Leon said answered flatly, still keeping his gun trained on the man.

"Why. What reason do you have to do this?"

Leon's blood started to boil, "I can list several. You threatened me and mine. What you're doing is illegal. And I'm not going to let you repeat the same mistakes that Umbrella did. I won't sit back and watch another city get wiped off the map. The world doesn't need what you people are doing"

Leon noticed that Drake's eyes were shifting past him every other second. Almost like he was preoccupied with something. It wasn't Ada. No, Drake seemed to be fixated on the far back of the lab. Or more specifically, on the giant door that was marked with 'authorized personnel' lettering all over it.

"What's behind the door" he said, glancing back quickly.

Drake remained silent and looked at the floor. Leon's temper started to rise so he grabbed the older man and shoved him into a counter, pointing the barrel of the gun into his eye.

"I'm getting real fucking tired of this shit. Now I'm not going to ask you again"

Leon walked Drake to the back of the room, passing Ada as they neared the restricted access door.

"Leon" Ada called out. "What are you doing?"

Without taking his eyes off the man he answered. "There's something behind that door back there. And I want to know what"

Ada walked over, hefting the satchel and its remaining explosives on her back before she grabbed Drake's hand. She looked at him as her eyes glazed over in cold indifference. He just looked back at her, not even acknowledging her existence.

"Open it" she ordered.

"No" he answered.

"Fine then" she said, taking his hand. Before he could even react, she took his index finger and broke it, snapping it like a twig.

"AHHHHHHHH!" he screamed, almost falling to the floor.

"Now" she said, getting right into his face, "I'm going to do that again until you open it. And when I run out of fingers, I'm moving to your toes"

Drake breathed heavily through the pain in his hand. He stopped to ponder the position he was in now.

"_They'll destroy everything. Everything I've put my life into. I can't let that happen. But if I show them what lies beyond that door, then maybe, just maybe I can at least have some revenge"_

"Very well" he said as he led the two of them to the back of the lab. Leon and Ada kept their weapons pointed at him as he walked over to the door and punched in the code to open it.

An airtight seal unlocked, spraying white mist out into the sterile lab. Three large, automatic, deadbolt locks released themselves and the door opened inwards to a darkened room. The three people walked in and were met with the sounds of humming equipment.

"Lights on" Drake said.

The lighting in the room clicked to life, revealing the awe inspiring and horrific sight before them. Leon was stunned to see what lay before him as he recounted the story of the Arklay mountains incident that Chris had been so reluctant to tell him years ago.

"_It was freaking huge. Gray skin and claws with purple veins covering its entire body. Whatever it had been was once human. What it was now, well now it was something else. Like Frankenstein's monster on steroids. A large tumor of a heart and lips that were surgically removed, creating an everlasting ghoulish grin. That's what I saw, suspended in a giant glass tube. Just one giant test tube baby"_

The thing before Leon bared little resemblance to what Chris described. But the similarities were remarkable. Except for a lack of genitals, skin pigmentation, claws, hair or any visible deformities, what Leon saw was an uncanny seven and a half foot monster. Like a Greek stone statue placed in a jar.

"Tyrant", he breathed, gazing at the monstrosity.

The giant holding tank sat in the middle of the room, various cables extending from it and feeding into the walls. The creature had I.V. tubes and other cables feeding into it as well, keeping it alive. A heart and brain wave monitor beeped, signaling the creature's life. And a lone control console sat in front of the tank.

Drake began to laugh. A deep, throaty chuckle of a crazy man.

"No, Mr. Kennedy. Not a Tyrant. This", he said, extending his arm to the creature, "is the product of all my hard work throughout the years. The perfect melding of every virus that Umbrella or we, have ever had the benefit of obtaining"

The man laughed again, "Mr. Kennedy, I'd like you to meet my son, Daniel"

Ada felt herself go sick in the stomach. She had heard and seen some very messed up things in her life. But this definitely was one for the record books. Drake had sacrificed his own son to benefit his sick, twisted goals.

"He was such a disappointment as a child" Drake shook his head. "Sickly, weak, unintelligent. Always daydreaming and never amounting to what I wanted him to. But now, well, just look at him. Such a monument to everything I could have hoped for" he turned to Leon, addressing him. "That's why I needed you. You were the final piece to the puzzle. Once your blood is introduced into his system, he'll be complete Mr. Kennedy"

"You sick fuck!" Leon screamed, grabbing Drake and throwing him to the ground where he proceeded to beat the man until he was unconscious.

When he was done, Ada walked over to him as he breathed heavily in anger and fatigue.

"I think we should be leaving now" she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea" he said, working his way to his feet.

Ada looked at the abomination in front of them.

"What do we do about this?" she asked, disgusted at such a waste of a good human life.

She watched Leon rip open the control console, understanding that he was trying to kill the creature. When he was satisfied he turned to her and said, "Leave a block of C-4. We'll blow this with the rest of the lab. The least it deserves is a quick death after all it's been through" Leon answered in a cold and uncaring voice.

Ada did as she was instructed before the two of them left the lab complex.

**III**

Back in the elevator. Back in the small confined space that they had found themselves so many times throughout the day already. Ada was leaning against the wall, checking her weapons as Leon stopped to calm himself down. She looked over at him to see that he was doubled over, breathing heavily. His adrenaline was through the roof as he attempted to come down off the high.

Ada watched, intrigued as he stood upright and placed his hands on the top of his head, looking strait at her.

"Where the hell did you go?" he asked in between a gulp for air.

He watched her pull a small, metal device from her hip. It was shaped like a gun but a bit off in some ways. Like it was tailored for something else. That's when he noticed the small grappling hook on the end of the barrel.

"Like my note said" she answered, placing the device back on her hip. "There were some things I forgot"

She stood up from leaning against the side of the car and walked a few paces closer to Leon.

"You didn't think I'd actually go in the labs without a gas mask on"

"Why?" Leon asked, a tad unnerved. "Afraid that you might catch a cold"

"Huh" she retorted, amused. "Something like that"

She stopped her little game when she saw the look of concern that splashed through his eyes.

"Hey, you can't get rid of me that easily" she said, wrapping her arms around him and pulling herself closer to his mouth.

"_Does she really want to do this now?"_ he thought, amused.

As soon as he finished thinking, the elevator lurched violently to a halt, throwing the two of them to the floor. Leon fell on top of Ada who pushed him off of her before they both got back to their feet. It didn't take long for Leon to figure out that someone had stopped the elevators, hoping to trap them and thus make an easy kill. But Leon and Ada wouldn't' be stopped so easily.

"Persistent aren't they?" he asked, searching for a roof access within the car.

"You have no idea" she replied as she found what he was looking for, reached for it and opened the hatch.

The small metal grate swung down, allowing Ada to reach up and pull herself through the opening. Leon watched her as she poked her head over the opening and looked back down at him.

"You coming?" she asked, reaching down a helping hand.

Leon just shook his head and quickly scurried up through the opening. Once on top of the elevator and closing the roof hatch, Ada looked up and saw that there was another floor above them. It could reach it if she used her grapple gun. She reached for the device and handed it off to Leon.

"You know how to use this?"

"Yeah, I saw something like this in a movie once"

Without thinking twice, he pointed the gun up to the next floor and pulled the trigger, sending the line up and hooking it into place. Ada then wrapped her arms around him as they let the force of the cable pull them up. Once there, Leon maneuvered them towards the elevator door and opened it carefully. There were no signs of life on the other side as the two of them climbed through the opening. But something below them got their attention.

"Shhh" Ada said as they looked down.

From where they were, Leon and Ada could hear the men rush into the elevator and talk amongst themselves. Then for some reason, Leon felt something tug at his pocket. He looked down just in time to see the plagas sample start to slip out of the ammo pouch he had stored it in, loosened by the trip with the grapple gun.

His eyes widened in horror as it slipped and started to fall through space. Without even thinking, he took the grapple gun and dove back into the elevator shaft after it, leaving a stunned Ada to watch him as gravity took over. He fell a short distance before his hand caught the sample just before he, and it, collided with the top of the elevator car. Leon thanked his lucky stars that the line had lasted.

With his heart going a hundred miles a minute, Leon placed the sample in between his teeth and started to slowly repel back up the shaft.

Looking back down he thought, "_I promise I will never even __think__ about going up in a tall building again. Oh, God. Please don't let me die"_

Ada met him at the opened doors again as he handed the sample off to her. But as he did so, something unexpected happened again. A spare magazine had dislodged itself from another ammo pouch. At the last second, Leon felt it give way and tumble down towards the car.

"Oh, shit!" he breathed, his voice carrying the echo just as the small piece of metal clattered to the roof of the car.

From somewhere below he heard the words, 'UP THERE' before the roof exploded in gunfire, rounds screaming their way up the shaft.

"Leon!" Ada yelled as she fell backwards, out of harms way.

He tried to grab the lip of the opened elevator doors and pull himself up, but the gunfire made it hard to concentrate, made him sloppy. He felt bullets whiz past him in an endless stream before one found its mark, grazing him up the length of his back.

"AH! SON OF A BITCH!" he yelled.

The round did more than just graze him. It had torn through the weapon's harness that he carried. If he didn't make a grab for it, then he was screwed. Snatching out in the air as it fell, his fingers looped through the ring of the grenade that he hadn't used. He held the harness for a few more seconds before the pin pulled out of the grenade and the whole harness fell down the shaft, landing on the cables of the elevator car.

Bracing himself, Leon screamed through the gun fire, "Geronimo, mother-fuckers!"

The grenade detonated and ripped open the cables, sending the car, and the soldiers in it, plummeting to their deaths. Leon heard metal grind and cables snap as he watched the car disappear. He sighed before pulling himself back up. Ada met him at the opened doors and held out a hand for him to grab. He took it and she hoisted him up. They looked into each other's eyes for a split second before Ada pressed a call button for a new elevator and then turned back to him.

"Don't ever do that to me again" she told him, angry that he'd been so reckless.

Leon nodded as she handed the bag of explosives to him. He smiled a knowingly smile as he looked down at the bag. Then he heard something. Time slowed down as Leon turned his neck, looking past Ada back down the hallway. Five men, in the same military style outfits had rounded the corner and were taking up defensive positions.

"_Christ, it never ends!"_

Leon watched as Ada ejected a spent clip from her gun and reached for another, not even sensing the danger behind her. He looked back up and saw the lead soldier of the group pull the pin on a grenade and throw it down the hallway towards them.

His eyes widened, knowing that there would be no way to avoid the explosion. In a dead end of a hall, the shrapnel from the grenade wouldn't go very far in the small area. If it went off there, then the two of them would be taken out.

Thinking quickly, more quickly than he had ever had to process something before, Leon grabbed Ada by the shoulder and shoved her down and then behind him. He watched her fall to the ground with a thud before turning his attention back to the small arching object in the air. The grenade would reach him within seconds. He just prayed that it wouldn't detonate once he did what he was planning to do.

Leon twisted his body around, making sure that there was proper leverage for his hips and legs. He extended his right leg out and arched it around, using his hips and lower body for momentum, creating a perfect roundhouse kick. Just as the grenade entered his sphere of influence, his leg came around, allowing the top of his foot to connect with it. The grenade went sailing back down the hallway towards the soldiers as Leon ended his kick. Just as this was finished, he grabbed and leveled his USP down the hall, specifically, at the grenade.

There was absolute silence, like all sound had washed away from the world, save for the very distant thumping of the man's heart as it beat within his own chest. This was joined by the very deep breathing of his lungs as his body forced itself to concentrate and give everything towards this one calculated act. Leon's eyes closed and opened in a slow blink before he pulled the trigger on his weapon, the recoil vibrating his hand and sending a bullet flying towards the soldiers, aided by the mini sonic boom of the gunpowder.

Ada watched as the bullet impacted the grenade just as it reached the men. Everything was silent for a few more brief minutes. Like the tranquil period between a thunder bolt and a thunder clap. Like the small period before an atom bomb goes off. The calm before the ever turbulent storm.

The explosion rocked the hallway as the grenade blew up in the men's faces, killing each of them instantly. When Ada opened her eyes, all she saw was blue fabric. It took her a second to realize that Leon was shielding her with his body. She shook off the ringing in her ears as Leon helped her to her feet, breathing deeply as he did so. Ada looked down the hall to see several bodies lying on the floor, unmoving.

Leon had his back to her as he surveyed the damage.

"Jesus" she said, running her hand through her hair. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah I saw it. I did it" he said, turning around to face her.

The elevator that they called finally arrived and the doors opened. Leon stepped past Ada and inside the car. Ada was still trying to shake off what had happened which was taking far too long for Leon.

"Ada!" he said, waving his arm in a 'come on' motion. "Let's go"

The moment he said that, time slowed down again as Ada turned to face him. She reached out to grab his arm in order to pull her inside the elevator. But something happened. Something wrong and unexpected. The elevator doors across from them opened suddenly, revealing another soldier, armed with a shotgun. Leon saw him. Ada didn't.

Leon screamed for her but no sound came from his mouth. She just looked at him as her expression changed from content to confusion. The soldier took aim and fired right into Ada's back, practically at point blank range. Her eyes widened in a mix of horror, pain, sadness and surprise as she was violently thrown into Leon's waiting arms. The moment she collided with him, he felt her go limp as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed as the two of them fell to the floor of the car.

Instant rage over took Leon as he aimed his weapon at the last soldier and fired his gun at the man. The guard twitched and jerked as the rounds found their mark, tearing into him and making his limbs thrash out spontaneously. The bullets struck him in the upper chest before a final round caught the man in the head, making him yelp and fall to the ground just as the doors to the car Leon was in closed. He kicked the call button for the basement of the building and felt the car start to descend.

Leon looked down at Ada frantically. Her eyes were closed. She didn't move in his arms. Ada wasn't breathing.

Leon tried desperately to shake her awake. But nothing happened. She just lay there in his arms as he cradled her.

"_No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. __Not again. This isn't happening again. Not to me, not to her. She doesn't get to leave me again. You don't get to take her from me" _he thought, either to himself or some higher power.

Hot tears welled up in his eyes as he screamed for her.

"ADDDDDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Leon shouted out as the elevator took him down to the lower levels of the building and helped drown out the man's cries of pain and anguish.

**III**

Back in the labs, Drake woke up and crawled across the ground as he bled. Everything was falling to hell, and he might not make it out alive. But there was still one final objective he would see to before he left this world. He would make sure that his greatest accomplishment was to be unleashed. Drake wanted to see his son emerge from the stasis that he'd been forced into for so many years.

Clawing his way up to the console, he strained as he typed in a few simple commands into the key board. He flicked several switches and hit a few more buttons before the containment tube began to drain of its liquid. As the solution flowed away, the I.V. tubes and cables that fed into the creature were taken over by gravity and sagged. The creature didn't move. It just kept its head pointed to the ground, still taken over by its own slumber.

"Time to wake up son" Drake said as he pressed a final series of buttons.

Kennedy and his bitch had almost ruined everything for him. But they were unfamiliar with the apparatus that kept his son in purgatory. They hadn't killed him. They hadn't even come close. All they had done was re-route a few auxiliary systems. Had they looked closer, paid more attention to what they were actually trying to accomplish, then they would have seen that they were bringing his son closer to life than to death.

And electrical charge surged through the creature and the glass tubing parted down the middle, pulling away and back, allowing Robert Drake's son to be released. He was a grand specimen. The epitome of everything that Drake had worked for. Although he wasn't quite complete, he would still take on the task that had been coursing through his brain all these years. Like a dream that had played over and over, such as a broken record.

Drake watched as his son took the first large breath of his new life and stepped out of his containment tube. There had been many tyrants throughout the years. But what stood before Drake was no such creature. It was something completely new. Something that no one could have even conceived possible by modern science. Utilizing all the viruses in its system at a cellular level, the creature was a thing of beauty. It wasn't a bio weapon or super soldier or even the next stage in human evolution. Drake's son was an Adonis for modern times. His son was a near god.

"D…d….daniel" Drake called, raising a weak arm up to touch his creation.

The man was so weak, was still woozy from the beating he'd taken. Death would be near soon. It would take him away from this desolate world. But before it did, he needed to touch his son. To see that what he had invested and sacrificed so much was tangible. That it was perfect. Flawless. His dreams realized.

The creature that was once Drake's son looked down at his father the way a child looks at an ant. It cocked its head to the side to study the withering figure on the ground. After some time, it opened its mouth to speak. Its purpose was realized.

"Father" it called out in a near throaty growl. "I _will_ make you proud"

And with that the child placed its foot upon its father's head, and Drake thought no more as darkness took him away.

**Author's note: Oh no, poor Ada. Whatever will happen now?**

**What a doozy of a chapter. Sorry it took so long. I'm gonna be out of town for a few days. So leave some reviews as an incentive and I'll try to get the last two chapters done when I get back. And yes, this is still, at its core, a romance story.**

**Some lines are from Die hard and Pulp fiction.**


	15. Death is the Only Way Out

What is it in this world that makes us seek each other out? What is it that causes us to yearn for companionship? There are many answers to those questions. It could be that it is something deeply rooted in the human condition. A sociological phenomena that tells us to join together for protection and strength in numbers, a way to keep the species thriving. Yet throughout the years, this has developed into something more intimate. A change in behavior that has allowed two people to come together in a special bond. This can be a man and a woman, man and man, or woman and woman. Any way you look at it, it's always two who come together.

Many species join together to mate. And they do this usually for the same reason. To give birth to offspring that will carry on their parent's legacy. Any species can do this, but with human's it has become something much more intricate. It isn't just an attraction by pheromones or a need to procreate. With humans, we have learned to search out that one special person who makes us feel complete. The one person who we would die without. The yin to our yang, the peanut butter to our jelly and so forth.

There are six billion plus people living on the planet. Sure, it's possible that there is someone out there more suitable for you other than the person you decide upon. There's the old saying that 'there are always more fish in the sea'. It's a lie. There is a 'one and only someone' for everyone. You just have to look hard enough. And once you find them, you have to do everything in your power to hold onto them, lest you lose them forever. But if you are to believe in such things, it is also necessary to believe in this:

You always hurt the one you love.

It was quiet. There was hardly any sound. Just the light humming of the elevator car descending deeper and deeper into the dark recesses of the building. That and the sounds that came from Leon as he held Ada's body tight against him.

For a boy to become a man, he has to learn to grow up and break free of the shackles that bind him to childhood. These are such ideas as weakness, innocence, attachment to childish dreams and a host of other subjects that are suitable for a child as opposed to an adult. But there are some things that we can never let go of. Things that stay with us throughout our entire life. Compassion and heartache are such ideas.

How long? How long had it been since he'd cried? He couldn't remember, couldn't recall if it had been five days or five years. Didn't know when the last time was that he had felt such pain and emptiness, something that no bullet or monster could ever cause. Regardless, Leon cried now, in this moment because the woman he loved lay dead in his arms. He felt hot tears drip from his eyes and run down his cheeks in between quiet, reserved sobs, lamenting for Ada. And somehow, throughout it all, he couldn't help but feel completely responsible for the situation that they had found themselves in. He could have played this any other way. They could have walked right out the front door, made a break for it, and go off to start their lives anew. But he had to push it, had to play the boy-scout and stand up against all that it was evil. And it had cost Ada her life.

He didn't know why, but a flood of memories from all different periods came back to haunt him. Words and feelings that he'd experienced in the past several days to the past several years. Leon couldn't help it. Ada had worked her way into his mind so deeply that it was almost a subconscious reflex.

"_I know I've only known you for a short time, but I really enjoy being with you"_

"_But I'll only slow you down with these injuries. Go, save yourself"_

"_It's time I apologized. And it's time that you slept well"_

"_Come on, what have you go to lose?"_

"_You're cute when you're jealous"_

"_I like being a bad girl. And I think part of you like's it too"_

"_I…don't…dance"_

"_Love…me? After everything I've done to you I don't deserve your love"_

"_I know I'm not capable of caring about anyone. But I don't want to lose you"_

"_We have to have something to hold onto. Or someone. Anything that gives us hope. Gives us a reason to keep fighting for a better future"_

"_I'm holding on. And I'm never letting go. Never again. Okay?"_

"_You'd…die…for me?"_

The words floated around in his mind like verses to a song or an old poem. Ghosts of times not so long past. They had the wanted or perhaps unwanted effect of making him realize what he'd lost. He remembered what she tasted like, how her mouth felt against his. Leon remembered the sound of her eyelids fluttering open. He recalled the way her voice sounded, like silk but rough around the edges. Leon loved the way her china white skin reflected the sun. He loved her beautiful, raven dark hair. Ada's crystalline eyes. Her heart beat, her touch, her love. Even her smell. She smelled like angels out to smell. The perfect woman. The goddess. His goddess.

He held her close and brushed some of her hair away, revealing the serene expression on her face, like she was asleep as opposed to dead. Sleeping beauty. Leon felt his heart twang as he looked at her and thought of everything that she meant to him. Everything that they could have had together but would never have the chance to.

Pulling her close, Leon spoke into her ear, "Ada, I…don't know…if you can hear me. But…if you're listening…please, come back to me. I still have a promise to keep. And you said you'd never…let go. Just say something. A…anything."

Leon knew it was a futile endeavor so he just wrapped his arms around her tightly, a vice like, iron grip that only he could hold as he sobbed into her neck.

"Huuuurrrrrrrgh!"

A sound, like something from the depths of hell escaped Ada's lungs as she inhaled violently. Leon's eyes snapped open in surprise as his heart leaped within his chest. Was it a trick? Was his mind playing games with him? Making him insane and deluded in his loss?

He let go and looked down, stunned to see Ada staring back at him with tired, happy eyes. She smiled an exhausted smile, like she'd just woken up from a very long sleep or had finished running a marathon.

"S…stop crying…you l...little bitch"

Leon was at a loss for words as she reached up to touch his dumbfounded face, to reassure him that she was alive and he wasn't dreaming. She then gave a playful little tug on his hair. It hurt. He wasn't dreaming.

"You can't get rid of me that easily" her voice rattled as she looked up at him with a tired expression on her face.

"Ada" was all he could manage to say before Leon gripped her tight.

He didn't care what brought about the circumstances of this moment. All he cared about was that she was alive. Nothing could change that. Leon had come so close to losing her that he'd die before he would allow it to happen again.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" she hissed in pain, gritting her teeth.

Leon instantly let go, unsure of what was wrong with her. Then he understood.

"_She could be wounded but not dead. And you're doing a hell of a good job of sending her back down that path"_

Carefully, Leon laid an exhausted Ada down on the floor of the car. She didn't say anything as he started to open the tactical vest that she wore, peeling away the Velcro and zippers in such a way as to not cause her any further pain.

"_Gotta check and see how badly she's hit. Gotta get her some help or some form of treatment__."_

He tore open her tactical vest, hoping to see a t-shirt, bra or bare flesh. What Leon saw instead made him understand how Ada had cheated death. A blue, nylon fabric stared back at him that covered her entire chest and back. It was fastened to Ada's body with a few Velcro straps and buckle clips. A strong smell of stale gunpowder trailed from the blue garment and into his nostrils as he removed her tactical vest before undoing the straps and gently taking the item of clothing off of her, using one hand to steady her while his other took the garment. As he did this, one word ran through his mind.

"_Kevlar"_

It was probably the greatest thing that man had ever invented. He tapped it lightly and noticed that there were ceramic plates imbedded within. It was a wonder why the men that they had been fighting hadn't been equipped with them. Turning it over in his hands, he grimaced at the spread out pattern that dotted it, evidence of the buckshot that she'd taken to the back. Even with the vest, a round like that would have been enough to crack a rib or two.

Tossing the vest to the side Leon held out his hand to Ada.

"Let me take a look at you" he said, waiting for her to help him help her up.

Too tired to argue, Ada reached up and took Leon's hand as he pulled her towards him. Her breathing was labored as he pulled up and allowed her to lay into him. He rolled up her shirt and looked down her back, wincing at the horrible, purple bruise just below her diaphragm.

"So…nnghh" she said, gritting her teeth in pain. "How bad is it?"

After studying it for several seconds, Leon let go of her shirt, allowing it to cover her once more before saying, "I'm no doctor, but as far as I can tell, your bottom most ribs are fractured" he said, laying her against the wall of the elevator.

As long as she got them tapped, they would heal sooner or later. But she wouldn't be able to do anything too strenuous for the time being.

"Lucky me" Ada groaned as she cupped a side with on of her hands.

Before she knew it, he was staring at her. Ada was no mind reader, but she could tell how sick and worried her little brush with death had scared Leon.

"I thought I'd lost you" he said in a hushed voice.

Not knowing what else to say, Ada gave Leon a quick kiss. She let him taste her lips and her tongue before breaking away and saying, "I know" as the elevator stopped. This was it, the end of the road. The two of them had reached the end of their destination.

"Can you walk?"

Cupping her side she chuckled painfully and said, "I can try"

"Run?" Leon inquired.

She eyed him murderously and said, "Let's not …nnggg… push it", she winced.

Leon helped Ada to her feet as she grabbed the bag containing the remaining blocks of C-4. He then took one of her arms and put around his shoulders in order to help her walk as the elevator doors opened. Before them lay a wide concrete hallway with dimmed, fluorescent lighting. The concrete was a fairly dreary, molted gray color. The color of decay. It reminded Leon of a utility tunnel and the cables and pipes overhead served to confirm that.

"Which way are we headed?" he asked, looking over to Ada.

"We need to wrap explosives around the…four main pillars that….support this building's foundation. We….take those out and the whole place will collapse" she said, taking in air rather uncomfortably as Leon supported her.

"You gonna be alright to do this?" he asked, concerned. "I can tell you right now you're having difficulty breathing"

"I'll breathe later. We have to get this done"

"Okay" Leon sighed as he looked down the corridor. "Which way"

"First door on the right at the far end of the passage" she answered as they started to walk. Leon supported her, making their progress slow yet constant.

As they walked, Ada chuckled a sort of delirious, halfhearted laugh and asked, "Remember when all we had to worry about were zombies and genetic freaks"

Without even looking at her, Leon said, "Yeah, good times right?"

**III**

The door that Ada instructed Leon to go through opened up into a cavernous area the size of a high school gymnasium. The entire room was barren save for the large, metal cylinders that were affixed right in the center of the room, about 20 yards apart from each other. Leon set Ada down against a wall before going to work and affixing blocks of explosives around each of the pillars, making sure that they were placed properly. When he was done, he went back over to her, picked her up and started leading her to where they needed to go next.

"Right through that door" she instructed, pointing to a set of metal blast doors that would lead into the next area.

She seemed to pause before speaking again, not sure if what she was going to say was appropriate or not.

"Leon, if we don't make it…"

"Shut up, we're going to make it" he interrupted in a tense tone.

Ada immediately dropped the subject, understanding that he didn't even want to nurture the possibility of failure. She then internally chastised herself for being in such a negative mindset. Her wounds were having a worse effect on her than she originally thought, forcing her to begin to give up hope. But she knew better and so did Leon. She was not weak. The wounds that she'd sustained were nothing. She'd been through worse and walked away from it. So why, when they were so close to their goal, was she being so pessimistic?

"_Must have gotten hit harder than I thought" _she said inside her head.

Her injuries had her thinking things that weren't true. It had her nerves a bit shot. But she knew Leon was right. All she had to do was have faith. That they would both come out smelling like roses. That the man she loved would pull through and get them home safely.

Once they were through the next set of doors, Leon and Ada found themselves in a near identical version of the room that they had previously occupied. The only difference was that the Agency had been using it as a glorified storage room. There were various types of equipment everywhere, from oil drums to gas canisters, giant spools of cable, wooden crates and even a forklift.

Ada allowed Leon to take it all in before a series of dull muffled "booms" from what had to be several floors up brought his attention back into the here and now.

"What the hell was that?" he asked.

"I don't know" Ada replied, "But I don't think we want to stick around long enough to find out"

"Right" he said before setting her down for a second time while he went about his business.

Leon worked as fast as he could to get the chunks of explosives affixed to the remaining two pillars. All the while the muffled booming sound that they each had heard seemed to be getting closer and closer.

"Jesus, what the hell are they keeping in this building? A goddamn dinosaur?" he said to himself.

Regardless of what it was, the sound was getting closer and closer with each passing minute. It made Leon anxious and apprehensive at the same time, causing a cold, twisting feeling to work its way from his chest to his gut and tighten there. He just wanted to get out before he had to find out what was coming.

"_Just a few more seconds. A few more seconds and I won't even have to worry about what the hell that is" _he thought to himself

A few minutes later and the bag of explosives was emptied, leaving only a handheld detonator in Leon's grasp. He tossed the bag to the side and turned around to face Ada who had painfully worked her way up to her feet and was leaning against the forklift in the room.

Leon looked at her and said, "Time to go"

A nanosecond later and the ceiling erupted in debris with a thunderous, almost deafening explosion. Concrete, motor, dust and a whole mess of things that Leon's mind couldn't process rained down from up high, right behind Ada. At the last second, something else fell from the sky. Something big and white. Something alive.

She didn't even have time to react, it all happened so fast. One second Ada was looking at Leon, and the next, the inhuman creature that he had thought that they had left for dead was holding her in the air by her neck with one hand. Ada's eyes went wide with fear and pain as she kicked lightly, her feet suspended in the air as she gasped for oxygen.

"_Oh fuck"_

It was just as Leon had remembered it. Big, at least 7 and a half feet in height. Unlike any Tyrant or bio weapon that he'd ever had the misfortune of having to face. It was more human than anything else. Tall, muscular, hairless, bald and deathly pale. Like something that had lived its whole life in an underground cave, obstructed from sunlight. Its hands were impossibly large, yet oddly proportionate to the rest of its body. It had no spikes, claws or other visible weapons. It didn't need them. A rounded hump rested were its genitals should have been and Leon let his subconscious make the proverbially wince that every man does at least once in their lives.

Fear gripped him as he listened to Ada gasp for air and claw at the creatures hand wrapped around her throat. It looked at her almost inquisitively, as if it was studying her, before turning its gaze to Leon. It looked at him with pupil-less, soulless white eyes, giving the impression that Leon was staring back at a Greek stone statue.

"Death is the only way out" it said.

Leon was astounded. Not because the thing could talk. He could give a shit if it could sing the star spangled banner. But it was the abomination's voice that touched a nerve with him. There was really no other way to put it. It was as if a human voice had been combined with that of a lion roar or growl and then shoved through a synthesizer, creating an almost inhuman or synthetic voice.

In about three seconds, Leon's USP was in his hands and he was pointing it at the creature, already knowing that he didn't have a clear shot and that it probably wouldn't do jack to the creature. Two things rushed through his mind like a pair of drag racers on a desolate highway. He wished that they had just left the thing alone and that there was no way that he was going to hurt it without hitting Ada.

"_And things were going so well" _he seethed.

The creature, Drake's son, stared at him. It looked him up and down, almost as if it was looking right through Leon. That's when it addressed him.

"You have something that belongs to me" the piercing almost harmonic voice said. "My father's legacy was not something for you to destroy. It is the last step towards my completion"

The creature extended its free hand and said, "Return it to me, and I'll spare your woman"

In its grasp, Ada kicked and managed to sputter out, "Don't…do…it"

"No fucking way" Leon snarled, leveling his pistol at the creature.

Without altering its mood or showing any emotion, the creature said. "Relinquish it to me or I'll snap her neck. She'll expire before you even fire your weapon"

It all came down to this. Their fight for survival, everything that they'd gone to in order to put the Agency out of business and get the plagas sample back was about to cease being. There was no way that Leon could win. He'd either lose Ada or lose the battle. The only question that presented itself to him was 'which is more important'?

Leon slowly lowered his gun and reached into a pocket, pulling out the small vile.

"_So, this is what everyone's been dying for"_ he said as he rolled it around in his hands.

"No…Leon." Ada chocked out.

He'd be damned if he was going to let her die after everything that they'd been through. He would not, _would not, _lose her again. There was no other way around it. It was futile. Leon knew what he had to do.

"Alright" he said, defeated. "I'll throw it to you and you release her at the same time"

The creature tilted its head at Leon and deliberated his proposal at the same time.

After a few seconds it answered, "Your proposition is acceptable. But no tricks or she'll die"

Time slowed down as Leon tossed the sample to the monster, underhand. The creature let go of Ada who dropped to her feet and attempted to make her way to Leon as quickly as she could. The two of them passed by one another for a few moments before the sample sailed into the creature's hands. It held it up and admired it, like a child that finds a gem and holds it up to the light in order to see it sparkle. It savored it with a sense of glorious longing. What the abomination should have been doing was focusing on Leon.

Even before she had reached him, Leon screamed at her, and leveled his weapon in her direction.

"ADA, GET DOWN!"

Mid run, Ada, dropped to her knees and put her hands over her head to protect herself. Leon pulled the trigger on his USP and sent a bullet hurtling towards the creature. It was still transfixed on the plagas sample in its hands as the round shattered it, spilling its contents and destroying the plagas inside. A small amount of purple fluid fell to the ground as the creature realized what had happened.

It turned its head to scream at Leon before its head was thrown violently back as two more rounds slammed into it, straight through its eyes.

Leon went over to Ada quickly and picked her up off of the ground, all the while noticing the creature was screaming and thrashing while it cupped its hands to its head in blind fury and pain.

"_Not good. No way it's that easy" _Leon thought as he led Ada to a service elevator near the back of the large room.

"Leon" Ada said, "We've got to…move fast. It'll be…up in no time"

"I know, I know" he said hurriedly, opening the metal gates of the service elevator.

"Jesus" she said, watching the thing work its way to its feet. "It's going to come after us. We'll never make it"

"Well, you're half right about that" Leon said.

"What?" she asked, not paying attention to him.

A deep, almost crippling pain hit Ada, right in her fractured ribs. The sensation was immense, making her want to pass out again. But somehow she found a way to fight through it and stay conscious as Leon herded her into the elevator and closed the doors, making sure to lock them into place. Her mind wasn't able to process everything immediately. Then, slowly, like a dam breaking, Ada understood. Leon had hit her to keep her from staying with him. She was going to escape. He wasn't.

"Leon! What are you doing?!" she managed to scream at him through the grating of the elevator doors.

"Getting you out of here" he answered as he grabbed for the controls to the elevator and pressed a call button. He then ripped the device from the wall and threw it to the side. Some where, they heard a computer voice inform them that the elevator would activate in four minutes.

"No! Don't do this! We can make it out of here!" she pleaded.

"Someone has to hold it off long enough to get far away from the building and detonate the explosives" he said nonchalantly before reaching into his pocket and slapping the remote detonator into Ada's outstretched hands.

"Leon! You can't! You can't leave me!"

"No, but I can't watch you die again"

He didn't even look into her eyes, knowing that he would reconsider his decision if he did so. It killed him inside, but he knew that he had to do this or risk losing her again.

"Please Leon! Don't do this. Stay with me! Stay with me! Stay with me!" she pleaded before he voice dissolved into tearful sobs. "Stay…"

She knew it was useless. There was no way that she could force herself through the doors to get to him. And she was in no condition to face the thrashing creature that was several yards behind them. Ada was reduced to sliding to her knees, sobbing. It was all she could do. Everything that she had worked for to repair the relationship was going to be for nothing. She was going to lose the man she loved. Her life would lose the meaning that he had brought to it.

Now he was forced to look at her. Forced to console her. And most importantly of all, forced to love her and tell her that he would handle things.

"Hey" he said, touching the underside of her chin in order to make her look him in the eyes. "I told you that I was going to keep my promise and help you"

All she could do was look at him with tear stained eyes. She knew, deep down, that she was going to lose him.

Standing her up through the grating, Leon looked at her and said in a comforting tone, "I'll come back to you. I promise"

Through her sobbing, Ada chocked out, "How? How can you promise me something like that?"

Acting quicker than he was thinking, Leon reaching into his pants pocket for something. With his other hand, he gently pulled Ada's left hand through the grating and slipped a metal object onto her ring finger. It took her a few moments to realize that it was the pin from the grenade that he had used in the elevator shaft. Several more seconds passed before she understood what he was propositioning to her.

"Leon" she said as she eyed the makeshift ring on her finger. Outside of spending the night together it was the ultimate declaration of his love for her. Something so strong that it helped solidify his words to her.

"Now I'll _have_ _to_ come home to you" he smiled.

Ada smiled back, understanding and hopeful. Her head back in the game, she asked him "What do you need me to do?"

"Get as far from the building as possible. Then give me six minutes" he said, setting the time on his watch. "After that, turn the place into a crater"

Forcing a laugh through her sobs she sniffled and said, "Great, another monster to fight and a limited time to do it in before everything goes to hell"

"I'm starting to notice a trend as well" he said, touching her cheek through the grating.

His touch was warm and comforting, making her forget her heartache and remembering how wonderful of a man he was. Risking his life for hers. Nothing about him had changed in six years.

Reaching into a back pocket, she handed something to him.

"Here, use this" she said, handing Leon the two poison darts that they'd taken from the lab. "It's no rocket launcher, but it might come in handy"

Leon took the gift and said, "Thanks Ada", right before the elevator started to lurch.

Icy fear gripped Ada as she snapped her head up and looked at Leon. It was really happening. The here and now. The present. Leon's choice to stay. It was all a reality. There was no going back. The point of no return was over.

"LEON!" she screamed.

"Ada!" he yelled to get her to focus. "You're the strongest, smartest most beautiful woman I've ever known. And I promise, _promise_, that I'll come home to you" he yelled to her over the hum of the service elevator. "I love you Ada. I've always loved you" he started to tear up a little and his voiced cracked, "I'm so sorry. I love you"

"I love you too" she replied latching onto Leon's arm.

The elevator started to move upwards. Ada's hand slid up the length of Leon's arm, threatening to separate them. Perhaps for good. It was a long good bye for the two of them. They found it best to share what little, meaningful words they could with each other.

"I'll find you Leon"

"I promise" he told her.

"No matter what" she cried

"I'll come back to you" he assured her

"I won't give up" she shook her head.

"I promise" Leon said one final time, his heart wrenching.

And then in unison they each said "I love you"

And then, she was gone.

Leon looked up the elevator shaft and sighed. Everything would be all right.

"_My warrior woman. My Angel, My Goddess. You'll always be mine. If I have to die for you tonight, I will" _he directed the thought to her.

**III**

"Useless" he heard the creature speak from behind. "You only delay the inevitable"

Leon turned around to see the monster back on its feet and walking toward him. The gunshot wounds had all but evaporated, leaving the creature with a new set of eyes right were the old ones should be.

"_This is it" _Leon thought. "_It's time to prove to her that you're worth a damn Leon. Sometimes, to help the person you love, you've got to commit a felony. Sometimes that means dying, sometimes it means killing a whole lot of people"_

"I know now what my father wanted me to become. You see, we all have a purpose"

"_Oh my God. Don't care, don't care" _Leon thought, knowing the creature was eating up his time.

"I knew my purpose the moment I awakened. I reached out and felt it", it continued to lament. "The plagas was a gift from my father. A gift that I would use in order to bring a new order to the world that has become a plague unto itself for so long. I will use it to bring unity to the planet. A unity under my rule. There will be no more suffering, no more war, no more hatred. Everything will be perfect…"

The creature continued to talk, but Leon began to tune it out.

"_Dear God is it still talking? I liked it better when all they did was try and kill me"_

Soon it realized that Leon wasn't paying attention.

"Haven't you heard a word I've said?" it asked, annoyed.

"Not really" He answered shrugging his shoulders.

"Insolent bug" it growled at him.

"Wow. You're just like him. You're just as _insane_ as your father"

The creature tensed up and Leon knew that he had made it angry.

"You shouldn't have said that" snarled.

"Oh really….why? Does that bother you?" he smirked, his hand reaching for his gun.

It was on him in seconds. Fast, incredibly fast for something that size. Before he knew it, the creature had him pinned to the cold floor of the basement. It was right in his face.

"I AM NOTHING LIKE MY FATHER! HE WAS WEAK. I AM STRONG! I AM WHAT HE COULD NEVER BE. HE WAS INSANE. HE DESEREVED TO DIE!"

"Good to know" Leon said, as he pointed his gun into the creature's stomach and fired off a few shots.

The creature let go, allowing Leon to escape. He fired at it until the gun ran empty, not even hitting the creature. It was too fast. And it had escaped somewhere into the room, hiding amongst the junk and equipment. Knowing he was out of ammo, Leon stashed his USP away and sighed.

"_Gonna have to do this the old fashioned way" _he thought as he prepared for the next wave of assault.

He called out to it, trying to get it to flush itself out.

"That it? That all you got? I don't know about you but I'm havin a ball."

It came quicker than expected. The creature erupted from a stack of crates, sending wood and splinters flying. It charged at Leon and lashed out with a punch. He managed to dodged it and deliver a solid blow to the creature's head with his own fist. It felt like hitting solid concrete. The monster wasn't even fazed. It grabbed Leon and hit him several times in the face before throwing him across the room. He landed behind the forklift that he'd seen earlier and lay there for a few seconds before attempting to get up, praying that whatever was flowing in his veins would be enough to save him.

The world was spinning and he was seeing double of everything. It was possible that he had a concussion. Leon's head felt too big and he could taste blood in his mouth. It was a copper-ish taste, like he'd been sucking on old pennies for the past several days. He spit a mass of blood from his mouth only for it to be replaced with fresh hemoglobin.

"Come on, get up" he said to himself.

"Crrrrrrrrrrrrrumphsssssssssh"

Leon looked up in time to see the creature tear through the forklift like it was paper. He got up and created some distance between him and the monster. It came towards him and Leon twisted himself into a roundhouse kick, hitting the creature in the ribs.

It looked down at its side and then at Leon, more annoyed than hurt.

"Shit" he said.

Drake's son arched back and lashed out with his leg, kicking Leon strait in the chest and sending him into the wall. Falling to the floor, he pushed up and swung his fist into an upper cut just as the creature neared him. Leon hit it several more times in the face and torso before the creature grabbed him by both of his arms and threw him back across the room again.

He hated this. All it was doing was toying with him. Leon tried to get up again, but every muscle inside him screamed for him to give up. It didn't feel so bad right now. But he knew he'd be feeling it in the morning. He looked at the creature as it made its way around a pillar, seemingly oblivious to the explosives attached to it.

It addressed Leon as it closed the distance towards him, "What you can't comprehend is that people like my father played God in order to obtain power. Once you obtain enough power, you become God yourself" it smiled. "I have power. I am your God. Or your Devil, if you prefer."

Fighting back to his feet Leon said, "You're not the Devil. You're practice"

Another powerful blow, this time sending him up and into a stack of crates. He made a mental not to try and stop instigating the monster. Leon got up and jumped off the crates, kicking the creature in the head before landing and rolling back to his feet. He turned around to see the monster wobble before righting itself. Leon took the opportunity to jump on its back, which in his mind was a stupid move, and pound on its head with his elbow. He knew it would do no good, but it made him feel a bit better. It made him feel like he had the upper hand.

"I'm gonna fuckin kill you, then I'm gonna fuckin' cook you, then I'm gonna fuckin' eat you!" he screamed between blows.

The creature, tired of his actions, reached behind itself and grabbed Leon, pulling him off and throwing him into a stack of gas canisters. They all rolled off into several directions.

"I can smell you, you know" it said, closing the distance towards him. "Smell the gift that courses through you're body. With every passing second it grows weaker. Soon you'll just be another human. Just another pitiful human"

It cocked its head, intrigued "And yet, still you fight. How interesting" the creature mused, before tossing Leon who landed near one of the pillars.

Drake's son continued to walk towards Leon, not bothering to make quick work of it. He knew what was happening. The monster wasn't brainless. It was reveling in its own superiority.

"You and I are similar" it stated grandly. "Dogs of war, bred for battle and nothing else" he said.

Slumped against the pillar, Leon braced himself and stood up. Wobbly at first, he was able to steady himself enough to face his adversary.

Smirking he asked, "Dogs huh? So, have you tried licking your own balls yet?"

The creature back handed him across the face, hard, causing Leon to sprawl to the ground. It practically knocked his head off. Leon spit out a stream of blood from his mouth and then wiped the residue from the corners of his mouth using his arm. Trying to get up to his feet he laughed and looked up at the monster.

"I forgot. You don't fucking have any"

It happened so fast that Leon didn't know he'd been kneed in the chest until he noticed that he was several feet away, curled into a fetal position and couldn't breathe.

Grabbing at his torso in pain, all Leon could think of was Ada. That she'd escaped. That she'd lived. And somehow, throughout everything that they'd been through together, this moment was bringing them closer than ever before. It made them appreciate and cherish what they each meant to the other. He knew. Leon knew that he was doing the right thing.

"_The things I do for love"_

The footsteps got closer. Small tremors vibrating through the floor, getting closer and more tremendous with each passing step. They stopped and Leon felt a massive form loom over him, reaching down. Like the striking hand of God, he felt a hand wrap around his throat and lift him up. Before he knew it, he was staring the monster in the eyes. Leon spat a sticky mess of blood and saliva into the creature's face and smiled. It didn't even flinch. All it did was move him slightly in the air, as if it was looking him over. Playing with him almost.

"When man meets a force he can't destroy, he destroys himself. What a plague you are" the creature spoke to Leon.

"Ada" Leon said as he attempted to claw his way from the things grasp.

Puzzled, the creature said, "Hmmph, ask yourself if that woman is worth dying for?"

"You bet your ass" he said.

Mustering up some strength, Leon head butted the monster in the face. Incidentally it was a poor move. It didn't faze or anger the creature. And it felt like Leon had smashed his head into a brick wall. The creature continued to stare through Leon. Then it looked about the room, taking it all in and marveling at it at the same time. It then returned its gaze to Leon.

"How appropriate. This place is very special. It was my birth place. It will become your tomb" it growled at him. "When the world is mine, I'll seek out your woman. I'll tell her that you fought well, that you were a credit to your species. You can at least die with honor knowing that"

Its hand tightened around his neck and suddenly, Leon couldn't breathe. All he could see was the ceiling. He began to black out as his life started to leave him. It began at the corner of his eyes, and then enveloped his entire sight. Leon felt his heart rate slow down, his vertebra start to snap, felt his limbs go numb and felt his memories fade away. All except one. The one that he would not allow to leave him. The one that gave him purpose.

"_Ada"_

"_I'm never letting go"_

"_I love you"_

"_I'll find you Leon"_

"_Here, use this"_

"_Here, use this"_

"_Use"_

"_This"_

Maybe in the end, what makes heroes into heroes is that they're just too stupid to quit. And as a result, even in the face of total defeat, they occasionally luck into a win.

His awareness snapped open. He would not be beaten. He would not die. Leon still had a promise to keep. He still had to come home to his angel. He would survive. That's what he did.

"_Stay conscious"_ he commanded to himself.

Reaching into his back pocket, his hands closed around the two neurotoxin syringes that Ada had given him. Leon removed the caps from the needles and swung his arms up and around, burying them into the creature's neck. Right where he thought its jugular veins or carotid arteries would be. Then all he had to do was depress the plungers, injecting the toxin into the creature. It was a gutsy move. There was no guarantee that it would do anything. But it was better than just giving up.

Stunned, the creature dropped Leon to the ground. He managed to roll away towards a gas tank of some sort and coughed as he looked at the monster's expressionless face. It looked back at him and they just stared at each other for the longest time. Then Leon started to notice dark, wavy patterns travel along the creature's body and understood that it was the poison at work.

The abomination put a hand to its neck and started to teeter on its own two legs, unable to maintain its balance. It looked at Leon. Its expression said one thing, 'how could this have happened?'

Looking to his left, Leon noticed the fuel canister that he landed near. He looked back at the teetering creature, not knowing whether it would die or not. Leon didn't want to take such a chance.

"Game over" he said.

Using all his strength he brought down his hand on the nozzle of the canister, snapping off the end, allowing the pressurized gas out and sending it jettisoning off towards the creature. The tank hit it square in the chest and propelled it back wards into a giant pile of steel crates and oil drums. It collided into the mass of items allowing the objects to fall on top of the creature, semi burying it. Only its upper body poked out.

Pushing up to his feet and gritting his teeth in pain, Leon walked towards the fallen body in order to confirm the kill. As he neared it, it twisted its head up at him, staring at Leon with the same soulless eyes that it had. It was pitiful as it looked up at Leon. But he didn't care. He didn't feel anything towards it. Leon just wanted it dead. Before that happened though, he wanted to make one thing clear to the creature.

"The world isn't beyond saving. We just need the right people to do it. I'm one of those people. You're just insane"

The abomination looked at him and said, "You think so? Is there an indelible line dividing sanity from insanity... Or do they change, one into the other at the slightest change of events? In time we'll find out soon enough. If the world itself is insane"

It laughed for a few seconds as Leon tried to understand what it had said. That's when he heard metal give way from above and saw a series of pipes rain down from over head. Leon leaped out of the way as the rubble fell, clanging and crashing to the floor, with one final, sharpened piece falling towards the monster. It looked up just in time to have the piece spear it through its head with a sickening 'Shhuuclk' sound, ending its life.

Leon tried to catch his breath as he looked at the fallen warrior before him. He didn't have much time for reflection though, as his watch alarm went off.

He looked down in surprise, having completely forgotten about the time.

"Shit" he said, as he looked around.

That's when he noticed something that he hadn't seen before. Something that wasn't there when he first walked into the room with Ada. It was something that had been shaken loose and revealed during the battle. Leon had to make a run for it. It was his only chance. He didn't know if it would save him or not. He still had to try.

**III**

Somewhere, several blocks over, Ada Wong stood on top of a building, looking out at the Agency. She was still nursing her fresh wounds as she waited for him. It had been too long. She had no way of knowing if Leon was still alive or not.

"_Six minutes"_ his voice sounded through her head.

Ada was startled by the sound of her own watch alarm going off. Her signal, her time to act had come. A time that she knew was coming yet didn't want to act upon. Not till she knew Leon, _her Leon_, was safe. But she had run out of time. They had both run out of time.

"_I promise"_

She had to do what she had to do, even if it killed her inside. She was keeping her promise by letting him keep his own.

Sobbing and hyperventilating a little, Ada said "Goodbye Leon" and pressed the button on the detonator.

Like a marionette with its strings cut, she let herself fall to the ground and cry, letting the not too distant explosions drown out her own cries of anguish. She cried not only for the man she loved. She cried because she understood. She understood what it was to have loved and then lost. Ada understood what Leon had gone through six years ago. She knew, because a part of her had died with him.

So she cried. Long and hard Ada let her sorrows out in hopes that somehow he could still hear her.

**III**

Things went dark. But Leon didn't mind much. It was okay. He had kept his promise to Ada. He had helped her take down the Agency. Her parents and little brother would have been proud. And further more, she'd be safe. A cop dies. An angel lives. All in all, it's as close to a fair trade as he could have bargained for.

**Author's note: Up next, Epilogue.**

**Perhaps my longest chapter. Pounded out over the course of a day. Hope you all enjoy it. Reviews and input are greatly appreciated.**

**Some lines were taken from/adlibbed from, Sin City, Cowboy Bebop the movie, Dog soldiers, Die hard and Batman Begins. I have a thing for cinema.**


	16. Epilogue: Extreme Ways

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.

_**TWO DAYS LATER**_

"Hello, I'm Lisa Garland, the time is currently 3:50 A.M. If you're just tuning in, we're standing at the sight of what used to be the center for Jacob and Mezco Inc. As you can see, there remains little of the building that once stood here"

Ada sat at the bar of the airport terminal, waiting for her flight. In the early morning, few people talked and passed her as she stared into a half full glass of bourbon, lost in the sea of thought. There was a television nearby that had been set to show CNN. The story of her and Leon's exploits had been running almost non stop for the past two days. At first the media had dubbed it an act of terrorism until interviews with employees had it linked to the _supposed_ gas leak. No one was at fault and no blame had been placed on any party. It had just been neatly, yet not so covertly covered up. Blind ignorance and skewing of the media were the only factors separating her from a jail cell.

In either case, Ada wouldn't have cared less what happened to her. Even though she had made it out of the Agency's building alive she felt more broken and bruised then ever before. Not merely in a physical sense. Wounds would heal with time. They always did. No, Ada's pain stemmed from something much more emotional. The loss of the one man who meant more to her than anyone else in the world. It was a crushing and suffocating feeling.

Her own, wavy brown reflection stared back at her from the glass of alcohol that rested on the bar, her hands absently wrapped around it. Almost as if to anchor her to the world that she existed into. Not that she cared much for it. She watched as a lone tear fell through space and into the glass, making the liquid ripple and distorting the image.

Upon making her way back to her hotel, Ada had wept. She cried for hours and hours, curled up on the bed. She cried until her body gave up on her and she fell into the deepest, most exhaustion induced sleeps that she had ever experienced. It was all she could do really. She had no desire to eat, or watch television, or even shower. Ada just wanted to cry. Cry at the futility that she was unable to change the circumstances of her ordeal. She was unable to bring her beloved back. And Ada had no way of knowing how she was going to move on. So she cried and slept, until she was able to get it out of her system as much as possible.

Sometimes that's all any of us can do really. When we're met with a situation we can't handle, especially death, we go through stages. Some are quicker than other's. Many last a life time. No one truly gets over a death. No one ever wants to forget. So rather than try and forget the loss of a person, we attempt to shape our lives around the emptiness that is left by their departure. We learn to live on. We keep moving. Because if we stop, we very well may die.

Everything is so fragile. There's so much conflict and pain. You keep waiting of the dust to settle and then you realize that this is it. The dust is your life going on. If happiness comes along, the only thing you can do is grab onto it while you can. You take what you can get, because its here and then before you know it, it's gone

Ada took the glass and drank it in one gulp, letting the biting liquid create a full fire inside her. She set the glass back down on the bar, allowing the ice cubes clink together. The alcohol did well to take away the pain in her ribs, which she had taped since the destruction of the building, but it couldn't take away the pain that manifested itself in her psyche. Ada stared back into the empty glass, letting it reflect how she felt inside. Propping her chin up with her arm, she sighed and drifted off into thought again, only to be interrupted by the bartender.

"Pour you another, love?" the man asked in a thick Irish accent.

Snapping out of her trance Ada looked up at the man. She had been so out of it that she wasn't even paying attention.

"I'm sorry" she said, apologizing for her lack of attention and having nothing really pertinent to say. "I've had a rough couple of days"

She passed her hand through her hair and let it rest on the back of her neck, rubbing it in slight embarrassment.

"I understand lass" the man said. "Get my fair share of people through 'ere. Each of 'em has a tale to tell"

He noticed the forlorn look on her face.

"Have a bad break up?"

"You could say that" Ada said, not even bothering to look at the man.

"Aye, well, a bit 'o more 'o this will fix ye up right it will", he said, swishing the container of bourbon in his hands.

Ada nodded and the bartender twisted the cap off and poured her another drink. She reached for her wallet and the bartender's eyes softened and he raised a hand to halt her.

"It's on me" he said, turning around and going back to his work.

Ada smiled and sipped on the drink before going off into her own little world again. Then out of the blue, several words from the television caught her ear's attention.

"Workers have made it through the rubble of the building and into the underground basement. In a miraculous turn of events, there appears to be a lone survivor" the reporter said.

"_What?" _Ada thought, looking up from her drink and hoping against hope. She looked and saw the news woman speaking from the sight of the building.

She went on to say, "The unidentified man was found in a dilapidated fall out shelter that the owners of the building had since walled up. Somehow he was able to make his way to it and survive. It is unknown exactly how he survived as he was still literally buried underneath the rubble of the building once it collapsed and seemed to be at the epicenter of the gas explosion"

"_That could have been either of them"_ she thought, her hopes dwindling.

"The man was found with no identification and is being described as in his _late twenties_ with _strawberry blonde hair_. Medical personal state that he is in stable condition and does not appear to have any physical wounds on him whatsoever"

In true news fashion there was no news footage of the body being led away on a stretcher. Her hopes renewed, Ada didn't know what to do next. Then, like magic, the news reporter was able to influence her next move.

"Breaking news" Lisa announced. "It seems that the ambulance carrying the survivor has been involved in a rollover accident off of the MA-121. Road crews as well as fire and police are on the scene and we go live to Cheryl Mason on the scene"

The view shifted to a freeway where accident crews were dealing with the tattered and broken wreckage of the ambulance. There were police nearby, dealing with the traffic as it attempted to move through the area. Firefighters were standing near the wreck and assisting the police while putting away their equipment. From the look of it, the ambulance had landed on its left side, with the back end facing the camera. One of its doors lay open, facing the ground

"Thanks Lisa" the younger woman said. "At around 3:04 this morning, witnesses say that the ambulance was experiencing what could only be described as 'maintenance problems'. It fishtailed several times before finally sliding to its side and flipping over at least six times, going over the median and landing near the wooded area that you see behind me"

"Any word on the condition of the occupants?" the news woman back in the studio asked.

"Yes, both paramedics are in stable condition save for a few bruises and minor lacerations to the face. However, the body of the survivor is missing and has yet to be found. Back to you Lisa"

Just before the footage cut out, Ada noticed a faint trail of foot prints in the mud leading into the wooded area where the ambulance had crashed.

"Thank you Cheryl" the woman said, shuffling her teleprompt papers into order. "We'll keep you up to date as this story progresses"

Smiling, Ada finished her drink and grabbed her luggage. She checked to make sure that the little souvenir she had obtained from the Agency's computer center was still where it was supposed to be. Looking inside her luggage, she saw that the MO disc, which contained all their work, rested comfortably within a pile of clothes. She had a feeling that the wealth of information would come in handy somewhere down the road. But right now, her main concern was getting back to Leon's apartment. After all, there were still several weeks of vacation left.

**Author's note: Cue awesome, **_**Bourne-**_**inspired credit sequence.**

**Well, there you go. Hope this little epilogue deliver's what you were all expecting.**

**My little "Everything is so fragile" bit was taken from Giant Sized Astonishing X-men #1. Yeah, I'm a geek.**

**I want to thank everyone who has stuck with this story since, jeez, hard to believe I started this back in January. What a ride it's been. I'm glad that you all got the chance to read it and give your input on it. This was just a neat little idea that I had rolling around in my head at the time and wanted to keep within the bounds of being canon. And look what it blossomed into. I also want to thank everyone who reads this in the future and leaves a review.**

_**Bluecupcakes, Agent Ada Kennedy, AdaWong x , SuperSandra, Chaed, SeeYouAround, Ada Adore, Lord of the Trees, …Wow, HeroOfDarkness2005, Holly1818, Houshin, Cloner4000, Avan, Mr. L Kennedy, Achika-chan, Kryptonian250, Itako no Nardi, CorinneQ, Jill­­­­- Redfield, CRuck, Nigh, Miracle Viguy 38, marna4eve, NightKry, Cody Smith, israelbauman, Alaska Kennedy, RobinHicks, Jacket, Liberius, Shadowman55, Eggy, Personnal, x-x-Leon-Ada-x-x, Strawberry Acid, WindyWildWolf, and Satanic Park of Madness. And anyone else who I regretfully may have forgotten.**_

**I thank you all for leaving a review. Feedback means a lot to me 'cause it shows that the story is enjoyed and allows me to understand your feelings about it. Some may hate it, some may love it. That's the thing with any hobby you do. It gets better with practice. Like some of my earlier stuff, while good, can't compare to this. I think this is one I'll be able to look back on with real pride.**

**The most I did was make a story and see what happened. I can't promise I'll make another Leon and Ada story any time soon. I honestly don't know how I could top this one or spin that relationship another way. But give me time and I'll have something new made up down the line. **

**I do have a few ideas for a good HUNK solo story. Not a HUNK RE2 or RE4 story. Something original. So, who knows what will fall out of my head next.**

**Thanks for reading. And peace to you all.**

**11/9/2008 **

**Track listing breakdown per chapter. Song title, band name, album.**

_**What I've done**_**, Linkin Park, ****Minutes to Midnight**

_**Heaven's Night**_**, ****Silent Hill 2 OST**

_**Going Under**_**, Evanescence, ****Fallen**

_**Stockholm Syndrome**_**, Blink 182, ****self titled album**

_**Macy's Day Parade**_**, Greenday, ****Warning**

_**Can't Get my Head Around You,**_** The Offspring, ****Splinter**

_**Stay Together for the Kids**_**, Blink-182, ****Take off your pants and jacket**

_**Something About Us**_**, Daft Punk, ****Discovery**

_**I'm So Sick**_**, Flyleaf, ****self titled album**

_**Love Reign Over Me**_**, Pearl Jam (cover version)**

_**The Righteous and the Wicked**_**, Red Hot Chili Peppers, ****Blood Sugar Sex Magic**

_**Stray Bullet**_**, KMFDM, ****Symbols**

_**The Joker and the Thief**_**, Wolfmother, ****self titled album**

_**Cleansing**_**, Marylin Manson, ****Resident Evil (film) OST**

_**Death Is the Only Way Out**_**, Joseph Bishara, ****Mortal Kombat Annihilation OST**

_**Extreme Ways**_**, Moby, ****18**


End file.
